Scintillating fullback Owen Blair has been pursued by the Macleay Valley Mustangs ever since he made the move to Group Three rivals the Port City Breakers in 2015.
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Blair has haunted the Mustangs since his departure, leading the Breakers to seven straight victories over his hometown club.
The livewire player, who boasts the ability to change the momentum of a match with a single play, was instrumental in handing the Mustangs defeat in the 2017 decider.
But after years of heartbreak, the Mustangs have finally got their man.
"I had been weighing it up for a couple of months but last week I decided to come back home and play to be closer to family," Blair told the Argus.
"They had been asking me to come back for a while and honestly, I wasn't even sure if I was going to play footy at all this year.
"But being around the boys at training and on gameday made me want to play."
Blair's clearance to join Macleay Valley was approved on Thursday night and despite only a handful of training sessions under his belt, Mustangs coach Russell Lardner threw Blair straight into the action.
Blair didn't disappoint in a two-try performance, which saw the Mustangs start their season with a 38-18 victory.
Lardner was full of praise for his latest signing, as he looks to build a squad to contend for the premiership.
"Owen is a special player and we are lucky to have him join us," Lardner said.
"He scored two long range tries for us on Saturday and he's capable of making a line break and changing a game at any moment.
"Owen can score from anywhere. We have a few players with x-factor but Owen is the spark of the team, he can really explode and once he's gone, he's gone."
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Blair is also looking forward to lining up in the spine next to younger brother and five-eighth Stephan.
"We haven't played together in a few years but gradually as the weeks go on, our combination will grow," Blair said.
"The connection is still there."
Blair will take to the field for his first home game in Mustangs colours this Saturday, when the club hosts the defending champions the Port Macquarie Sharks.
"It's good to be home and hopefully we can take out the grand final this year," he said.
Blair claimed the Group 3 premiership with the Breakers in 2016 and 2017.
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