Excitement machine Harley Bennell joins Wodonga Raiders in huge recruiting coup

Bennell is expected to be rushed into the Raiders' side on Saturday against Myrtleford in a major boost to their hopes of avoiding a winless season.

The former Gold Coast No.2 pick joined Port Melbourne this season in a last ditch effort to reignite his AFL career.

However, Bennell has only played two matches for the VFL club after being hampered by a recurrence of a lingering calf complaint.

His most recent match was round five on April 25 against Frankston.

Raiders coach Marc Almond confirmed that Bennell had agreed to terms with the club and was ready to set Birallee Park alight against the Saints.

"It's obviously exciting to get another high-profile player the calibre of Harley to the club after also signing Cam Ellis-Yolmen over the summer," Almond said.

"Not only will he generate some excitement on game day but inject a bit of mid-season belief into the group.

"It's no secret we are still searching for our first win and hopefully adding Harley can help us get the result that we are looking for.

"Playing Myrtleford at home, internally we feel is a winnable match but no doubt the opposition has the same mindset about playing us.

"We just need to put together four-quarters of consistent football which we are yet to do this season but feel we are not too far away from doing."

The Raiders were able to lure Bennell to Birallee Park through assistant coach Joel Price.

Price seems to have found a magic recruiting wand which he has been able to wave with lethal effect in regards to signing big name players in recent years.

The recruiting ace has previously added Ellis-Yolmen, alongside Damian Cupido, Jared Brennan, Jarrah Maksymow, Josh Mellington, Jason Gram, Cameron Cloke, Jy Farrar and Ash Johnson.

Now add Bennell to the list.

"Pricey was instrumental in the club signing Harley but he already knows a couple of the players as well," Almond said.

"Jason Burke played alongside Harley at Tiwi Bombers last year and he knows Brendan Kantilla as well so there is a bit of a connection there.

"We were in the mix to sign Harley at the start of the year but he decided he wanted to have one final crack at getting back on an AFL list.

"He thought the best chance of that happening was if he played VFL.

"So it's been ongoing and Harley sort of had to make up his mind what he wanted to do with the clearance deadline looming.

"He has had a few injuries this year in the VFL which obviously hasn't helped his cause."

Almond was confident Bennell could be a huge asset for the Raiders if he was able to get fit and firing.

"He's only 30 so he still has a fair bit of footy ahead of him if he can get his body right," he said.

"His calves have been a bit of an ongoing issue but he has also had some patches where he has played some good football.

"But landing Harley also builds the club's networks which can be beneficial, especially for a club that is trying to climb the ladder."

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