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WHITE Hills has added further grunt to its midfield with the addition of former Ovens and Murray player Patrick Eefting.
Eefting, who grew up in Rochester, has played 42 senior games with Wangaratta in the Ovens and Murray league and is joining the Demons to play alongside Hayden Wright, who he has spent time overseas with.
Included in Eefting's overseas stint was playing football in Canad with the Montreal City Blues, with whom he won the AFL Quebec best and fairest in 2018 as well as a US Nationals division two title in 2017, and the Ottawa Swans, who won the 2019 AFL Ontario flag.
The Demons describe 24-year-old Eefting as a big-bodied inside midfielder who has the potential to play a variety of positions.
"He is good mates with Hayden Wright and has played a bit of senior footy in the Ovens and Murray league with Wangaratta, so we're really excited to have him come on board," White Hills coach Sam Kerridge said on Tuesday.
He is good mates with Hayden Wright and has played a bit of senior footy in the Ovens and Murray league
- Sam Kerridge on Patrick Eefting
"He's kept himself pretty fit playing a bit of footy over in Canada for the past couple of years and we're looking forward to seeing what he can produce in 2021."
Eefting is no stranger to the Heathcote District league, with his father, David, a four-time premiership player with Mount Pleasant.
When the Heathcote District league season returns after this year's COVID-cancelled 2020 the Demons will have a bulked up midfield group.
Since they were knocked out by Mount Pleasant in the 2019 elimination final the Demons have added Jack Fallon, Kalan Huntly, Eefting and Hayden Wright into their on-ball division, as well as new ruckman Lachlan Sidebottom.
It's a midfield group that also includes Kerridge - the 69-game former Adelaide and Carlton AFL player who was runner-up in last year's Cheatley Medal.
"We wanted to add a bit more depth through the midfield, but we also want to make sure we got guys who can also play different positions as well," Kerridge said.
"It has been a big couple of weeks for us; we know we needed to add a bit more firepower if we are going to compete with the best and push for September next year and we think we've done that well."
Had the 2020 HDFNL season gone ahead it would have been grand final day last Saturday.
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