Premiership Bulldog Shane Biggs signs at North Heidelberg in the Northern Football League

North Heidelberg will have a second AFL premiership player in its ranks in 2019 after landing one of the recruiting coups of the Northern Football League off-season.

Shane Biggs and Clay Smith celebrate the 2016 grand final win. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

North Heidelberg will have a second AFL premiership player in its ranks in 2019 after signing former Western Bulldogs defender Shane Biggs.

North Heidelberg announced on Friday that Biggs had put pen to paper at the Bulldogs, joining North Melbourne premiership player and AFL games record holder Brent Harvey at Shelley Reserve.

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The 27-year-old played all 26 games in the Bulldogs’ 2016 campaign, including the grand final victory over Sydney.

Shane Biggs takes a mark during the 2016 grand final. Picture: Mark Stewart

Biggs only made five senior appearances in 2018 and announced his retirement from the elite level after playing 63 games across six seasons at the Western Bulldogs and Sydney.

He was rookie-listed by the Swans, where he made six senior appearances, before being traded to the Bulldogs at the end of 2014.

North Heidelberg coach Jimmy House said Biggs wanted to transition back to local football.

“I caught up with him a couple of times, more just focusing on what he wants out of football at the moment and just to really enjoy it and be one of the lads,” House said.

“AFL is probably not for everyone but he made the most of the time he got.

“He’s a good young man and he just wants to try settle back into local footy and enjoy himself.”

While Biggs made his name in the AFL as a running defender, he has been slated for a role in North Heidelberg’s forward line.

Shane Biggs in action for Warrandyte in 2010.

“Those that don’t know, Biggsy’s two years at Bendigo Bombers … his early VFL days were actually as a half-forward,” House said.

“He wants to come back to local footy and enjoy it and one of the things is playing in different roles so we’ll give him a crack at playing forward.”

North Heidelberg has also added former Sydney academy member Jack Mapleson.

Mapleson played 17 games at Sale this year in the Gippsland league and joins former Swans academy member Jacob Sincock at the Bulldogs in 2019.

North Heidelberg surprised the competition this year when it advanced to a Division 1 preliminary final after winning the 2017 Division 2 flag.

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