THE Rochester Tigers have replaced one of country footy's most wanted players with another in a busy off-season.
Full-forward Grant Weeks shocked bush footy followers when he defected from Bendigo league four-time reigning premier Golden Square to Goulburn Valley league club Rochester this month.
But the news couldn't have come at a better time for the Tigers, who recently lost veteran key position player and VCFL state team captain Guy Campbell to Murray league club Echuca United.
Campbell signed with the Eagles late last month, returning to the club where he first played senior footy.
The 30-year-old spent a year on the Sydney Swans rookie list in 2005, returned to Echuca United in 2006-07 and played a season at Echuca in 2008 before joining Rochester in 2009.
Campbell was named at No.2 in this year's Top 10 country football players list, compiled by The Weekly Times for the Sunday Herald Sun.
But the No.1 spot went to Campbell's replacement at Rochester - Weeks - for the second consecutive season.
Weeks, still only 23, booted 148 home-and-away goals for the Bulldogs this year, on top of 130 last year and 157 in 2010.
The Colbinabbin farmer was also named All-Australian full-forward at the Australian Country Football Championships in Wagga Wagga in July, retaining the honour he claimed at the last national carnival in 2010.
Weeks re-signed with Golden Square in the lead-up to last year's grand final, but has since overturned his decision.
He flagged a move to Rochester in August, telling The Weekly Times he planned to remain a country footballer, despite having the skills to play at a higher level:
"It's either Golden Square, Colbo or maybe Rochester one day for me - Rochy is where I went to school and I've got a few mates up there''.
Weeks has since confirmed he was lured to the Tigers by the prospect of playing alongside friends in a higher-standard competition, with Rochester just a 20-minute drive from his family's 1820ha cropping farm.
