Crabtree has returned to his home club of Noradjuha-Quantong for 2020, after an eventful four-season stint playing football in Ballarat.

Crabtree departed the Wimmera for university five years ago, and spent two seasons with a struggling Skipton before crossing to Waubra in the Central Highlands football league.

As Crabtree arrived, Waubra transformed from a decent side to a premiership contender, making a preliminary final in 2018 before securing a long-awaited premiership in 2019.

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Crabtree however was forced to watch on from the sidelines on the biggest day of the season, as a brutal corkee suffered at training cruelly kept him out of the grand final side.

He watched on as his teammates won a premiership, and it's the motivation of "unfinished business" that will spur on the lively half-forward in 2020.

"It was awesome to be a part of a premiership year, but deep down, you feel like you missed out a little bit," Crabtree said.

"There's definitely unfinished business.

"At Quanny, I feel we're in a similar situation. I feel like I had my grand final heartbreak last year, and so did Quanny.

"It feels like the right fit to come here. We're on the same path together, maybe searching for a bit of redemption."

Crabtree last played for the Bombers in 2014, in the midst of the club's eight-year finals drought that was emphatically broken with a grand final appearance in 2019.

Crabtree said it was exciting to see the club's senior football in a strong position.

"Quanny has always been my home club. I have a lot of family ties here. My grandparents, uncles, aunties and my mother have all played out here," he said.

"And it's been a long time since Quanny have been relevant in senior footy, as harsh as that might sound. So it's awesome to see your home club having a bit of success at a senior level.

"We've landed some other recruits that can hopefully really help us out, and get to that next level of winning the flag this year."

In returning home, Crabtree said he was also looking forward to the Wimmera weather, as he deals with a unique physical ailment he's had since birth.

Crabtree is blind in one eye and his other is slowly "wearing out", forcing him to sit out games on rainy days.

"I really just can't deal with the rain," he said.

"I sat out maybe three or four times throughout last year, which can be a bit frustrating.

"Moving back to Horsham, the weather is a bit drier, it's not constantly raining like it is in Ballarat, so I'm looking forward to hopefully a few more dry Saturdays, and me not having to make that tough call."

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