Frankston Bombers secure the services of former Gold Coast Suns forward Jarrad Grant

FORMER Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs forward Jarrad Grant will play with the Frankston Bombers in 2018.

Jarrad Grant celebrates a goal for the Gold Coast Suns against North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium last year. He is returning to the MPNFL in 2018. Picture: Adam Head

FORMER Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs forward Jarrad Grant will play with the Frankston Bombers in 2018.

With his hopes of getting picked up by another AFL club fading, 28-year-old Grant has committed to the Frankston Bombers — his original club — and is expected to sign with them tomorrow.

“He’s committed to us,” Bombers coach Beau Muston said this morning.

“We’re pretty excited by that.”

Drafted by the Western Bullogs in 2007, Grant played 95 AFL games — 81 games with the Bullogs and 14 with the Suns — and booted 94 goals.

A Frankston Bombers junior, he played a handful of senior games with the Bombers as a 17-year-old, including the 2007 grand final, before embarking on his league career.

It’s believed Pearcedale, coached by his former Frankston teammate Leigh Stewart, was in the running to secure his services but the Bombers, who will play in the MPNFL’s first Division next season, won out.

Jarrad Grant will play as a key forward for the Frankston Bombers.

Muston said Grant would play as a key forward in 2018.

“Over the last couple of years we haven’t had a 50 plus a year goal kicker so we’ve been really actively searching for one of those, and we think Jarrad will fit that bill playing up forward,’’ he said.

“He kicked a lot of big bags of goals this year playing in the NEAFL and has proven to be a goalkicker at AFL level. We think he can be a really uncanny match up and hard to play on with his speed and agility.”

Muston said Frankston Bombers were hopeful of securing delisted Richmond player Jake Batchelor, another ex-Bomber.

In other Frankston Bombers news:

*Crib Point player Waide Symes has signed.

*2015 Nepean team of the year member Sam Drake will return after living in England for the past two years.

*Nathan Lonie has retired.