HDFNL club Elmore has boosted its midfield stocks by signing one of the Northern Territory Football League's premier players.
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Darwin Buffaloes captain Jarrod Stokes signed with the Bloods this week and could make his HDFNL debut as early this week's game against Leitchville-Gunbower.
Stokes, 26, won the Chaney Medal for best afield in the 2018 grand final and is a veteran of more than 150 senior games with the Buffaloes.
Stokes' signing comes on the back of the Bloods breaking through for their first win of the season in a one-point thriller against Huntly last Saturday.
"The aim is for Jarrod to be down here for most of the games for the rest of the year,'' Elmore president David Trewick said of Stokes.
"The talk is that he's very skillful and he won the medal up there (in Darwin)...so we'll see how he fits in with the mix.
"We've had a few injuries and a few things haven't gone to plan (so far this season).
"We played against quality opponents in the first few rounds and they were up and about and we didn't have the depth that we thought we might.
"We seem to get two players back and then lose three... it was good to get over the line on Saturday and we can build from there."
Elmore assistant coach Dylan Gordon played with Stokes at the Darwin Buffaloes and urged the classy midfielder to head south to play with the Bloods.
Under new coach Dylan Friedberger, the Bloods had expectations to push for a finals berth in 2021.
A 1-4 record after five games has put the Bloods on the back foot, but three wins from their next four games - Leitchville-Gunbower, White Hills, North Bendigo and Heathcote - would keep the club in touch with the top five heading into the second half of the season.
This week's matches: Leichville-Gunbower v Elmore, White Hills v Mt Pleasant, Huntly v Lockington-Bamawm United, North Bendigo v Colbinabbin.
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