PORTLAND’S own Jake Edwards will make his return to Hanlon Park next year after committing to Portland for the 2021 Hampden Football League season.

The 23-year-old spent two years with Portland’s under-18.5 team before becoming a prominent member of the club’s senior side for the 2014 and 2015 Hampden seasons, playing 32 games and kicking 15 goals rotating through midfield and forward line.

He returned again in 2016 but was only able to play five senior matches after accepting a scholarship to study at Melbourne University, greatly restricting his availability.

During November of that year Edwards was invited to train with Werribee for the Victorian Football League’s 2017 season and four months later, was a late signing for the club’s senior list.

While Edwards wasn’t able to make a VFL debut, he did get the chance to take part in AFL Victoria’s Development League, playing in 10 games for the Werribee Tigers.

For the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Edwards was a member of the senior side at Avondale Heights, playing within the Essendon District Football League.

Edwards played 27 games for Avondale Heights across two seasons and was committed to the club for the 2020 season, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.