Former Hampden league star Dylan Gunning joins Russells Creek for remainder of WDFNL season

The ex-Port Fairy champion and Hampden interleague player - one of the club's best players of the past few decades - has been named on the wing in the top-four Warrnambool and District league clash against ladder-leaders Nirranda on Saturday.

Gunning has most recently been playing in the Darwin season for Waratah.

Creekers co-coach Danny Chatfield said the club was delighted to welcome a player of his calibre to Mack Oval after plenty of speculation of his arrival.

"I'm really excited to see what he brings to be honest - he's been training for a couple of weeks, it was unfortunate he couldn't get up last week," he told The Standard.

"It was a week-by-week thing, Dylon (Herbertson) had done a bit of work in the background and obviously with the links to Port Fairy so I sort of sat back and thought I'd believe it when I see him on the track.

"Everyone I bumped into at the coffee shop was saying 'you've got three or four blokes from Port Fairy coming', so there was a lot of speculation and stuff that's for sure."

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The Creekers mentor said Gunning would significantly bolster the club both on and off the field.

"We want him to bring extra class and leadership to the mix - you've got guys like Dan Nicholson, Xavier McCartney, Dylon Herbertson, Tay Wason all having Hampden experience," he said.

'Blake Rudland-Castles is also in that category too.

"It'll provide us with that extra bit of leadership - without putting too much pressure on him leading into a big game, we just want him to get out there and get a feel for it with new teammates and a new club."

Chatfield said the group was excited to respond after the loss to Panmure in round 13.

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