KRAKOUER SIGNS WITH WEST PERTH FOR TWO YEARS

REIGNING WAFL premiers West Perth have pulled off what could prove to be a recruiting masterstroke signing Sandover and Simpson Medallist Andrew Krakouer for the next two years.

Krakouer had one of the best individual seasons in recent WAFL history in 2010 before leading Swan Districts to the premiership that year with a performance in the grand final that simply had to be seen the be believed.

On the back of that, he was picked up by Collingwood for his second chance in the AFL and three years later, he was delisted by the Magpies at the end of the 2013 season and now the Falcons have been quick to swoop.

While many expected the 30-year-old to return to Swan Districts if he was to return to the WAFL post his AFL career, West Perth made contact with Krakouer and in the end the two parties liked the sound of what each other was offering so much that it was impossible to say no to.

Krakouer will now play with the WAFL premiers of 2013 for at least the next two seasons after agreeing to terms with the West Perth Football Club on Friday evening.

Krakouer, the son of the great Jim, will bring with him to West Perth his history as an 137-game AFL player, AFL grand final player and as the 2010 Sandover Medallist, 2010 Simpson Medallist and premiership player, and with the feeling he has plenty of good football still left in him.

The impact he will have will be felt not just on the football field, though, with Krakouer working closely with the Indigenous community in the northern suburbs while also heading up the West Perth Football Club's Indigenous programs.

Andrew Krakouer's journey is quite the remarkable one. Growing up in a famous football family, there was always pressure to perform and he was drafted by Richmond in 2000 before going on to play 102 matches until the end of 2007.

He then returned to WA and played with Swan Districts in the first part of 2008 before life and his career hit its biggest hurdle, but he bounced back inspirationally in 2010 with Swans when he returned to the WAFL.

During his 2010 WAFL season, Krakouer dominated the competition culminating in his 40-possession, four-goal grand final performance that saw Swan Districts upset Claremont by a point to win the premiership.

Krakouer then ended up at Collingwood in 2011 and had a tremendous first season as part of the team that made the grand final before losing to Geelong.

He was restricted to just 12 games the last two years due to injury, but still showed he was capable of some outstanding football and now that is what West Perth hopes he can deliver back in the WAFL over the next two seasons at least.

The signing of Krakouer means that the Falcons' premiership defence is coming together nicely despite the retirement of captain Jason Salecic and with grand final Simpson Medallist Mark Hutchings and also Fremantle forward Josh Mellington forced to switch clubs in 2014 due to the AFL alignments with East Perth and Peel Thunder respectively.

Veteran forward Anthony Tsalikis looks set to continue his career after heartbreakingly missing the grand final victory over East Perth with a shoulder injury while reserves grand final players Trent Manzone, Brayden Antonio, Matt Johnson, Kris Shannon and a host of others are all ready to step up if called upon.

BY CHRIS PIKE