SOUTH Rovers officials will be full of joy to recruit a forward capable of edging 100 goals - but it's Tim Ryan's grandmother who might be happiest of all.

Ryan's nan will now be able to watch Tim and cousin Scott Nicolson at the same ground on the same day through the winter of 2022.

Family ties were vital in luring Ryan, who most recently featured at South Warrnambool, back to the Warrnambool and District league after stints at Geelong club Leopold, Kolora-Noorat and also in the Hampden league.

"Pretty much all my family and cousins have played up there and I played all my junior footy up, from when I was about five until I was top-age in under 17s," Ryan said.

"I have a lot of friends from school up there as well and it was a bit of a no-brainer to go back.

"There's definitely a few familiar faces and I'll be happy to be around the place again."

The 27-year-old slotted 97 majors in his most recent district league campaign under Danny Finn at Kolora-Noorat in 2016.

He expected to spend the majority of time forward and hoped to help Rovers surpass their fifth-placed finish in 2021.

"That's the role they've got in mind for me," Ryan said.

"Obviously as they're my former junior club I always check in on the scores and see them hovering around fifth and sixth but it'd be good to help them push on a bit further.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

Ryan said he'd play another summer of cricket at Russells Creek while completing a footy pre-season.

EARLIER:

WARRNAMBOOL and District league club South Rovers is celebrating the signature of dangerous goalkicker.

Tim Ryan has returned to the Walter Oval-based club after stints at Leopold, Kolora-Noorat and Hampden league outfit South Warrnambool.

Ryan, who booted 97 goals in his most recent season in the Warrnambool and District league for Kolora-Noorat, is a major coup.

The Russells Creek cricketer managed five senior games for South Warrnambool in 2021, slotting four goals as a supporting forward.

Rovers, meanwhile, finished fifth under Adam Matheson in 2021 but didn't get the chance to play finals due to COVID-19 restrictions.

MORE TO COME

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.