TWO months ago, Daniel Needs wore a broad grin as he sat in the St Arnaud change rooms after the Saints, who had won only three games in three seasons before this year, scored a morale-boosting victory over Boort.

''It's a real good feeling,'' the key forward said as he adjusted the ice-packs on his knees. ''Now the winning feeling's back, you don't want to go back to the old ways.''

Five weeks later, the six-time club best-and-fairest winner broke Barry Michael's long-standing record for most senior games with the Saints when he lined up in his 269th match.

Needs kicked two goals in his record-breaking appearance against Donald on June 2. Afterwards, he was named among the best players and feted as one of St Arnaud's favourite sons. At that stage there was little doubt the 33-year-old was committed to helping rebuild the club. Nothing changed the following weekend, when Needs booted another three goals against Wedderburn.

But in the days after St Arnaud's loss to the Redbacks, a proverbial hand grenade landed in the email inbox of the Saints' first-year president, Shane Ciurleo. It was a clearance form from the Macorna footy club, near Kerang and which plays in the Golden Rivers league. Ciurleo's heart sank when he saw Needs' name on the form.

''I'm still struggling to find the right words to use to describe how I feel,'' Ciurleo said on Wednesday. ''I didn't even know what to say to Needs, really. I'm furious. Needsy and I are mates, we played footy together, so there's a personal side to it as well. We're still mates. We live in a small town. He still lives and works in the town, we've got kids in the same class at school. Our wives are friends. But I've got to stick up for the club, and from the club's point of view, it's bloody terrible.''

Players swapping clubs in the middle of the season is nothing new. But to the people of St Arnaud, Needs, who lives and works in the central Victorian town, is no ordinary player. He is a local legend, who, before last weekend, had never played for another club.

A teenage member of the St Arnaud teams that won the North Central league premiership in 1998 and '99, Needs became a bloke that the Saints' players and supporters could rely on. When the club was battling, Needs usually bagged a few goals and put on a decent show. He was so resilient, and his form so consistent, he has never played in a reserves match.

Needs was first tempted to defect to Macorna - a club that is 150 kilometres from his home - when the Tigers contacted him during the summer. The man most keen to sign him was Macorna coach Wayne Mitrovic, who had played against him during a stint with Wycheproof-Narraport.

But after training with the Tigers a few times, Needs decided to stay at home when the Saints signed a number of high-priced recruits, including former North Melbourne star Shannon Motlop. Having previously been paid on a per-game basis, he also agreed to take part in a new incentive scheme for local players. Under the scheme, the best local player in each match receives $300, while the second-best gets $200, and so on.

Many St Arnaud people believe that Needs had planned a mid-season defection all along. But the man himself insists the situation changed when Macorna put a revised offer to him. ''It was too good an offer to refuse,'' Needs admitted. ''That was a main reason I went. I haven't heard too much [from St Arnaud supporters]. I think there's been a bit of bitching behind my back, but no one's come up to my face and said anything. But, look, in the end I wasn't even starting on the ground. I wasn't in the first 18. I was playing in the ruck and off the bench. I thought if I could get a chance to play permanently as a key forward then it was worth taking it.''

In contrast, the Macorna backers are rubbing their hands together. ''He's been a pretty good servant of the St Arnaud footy club for a long time, so I guess life goes on, doesn't it?'' said Macorna president Greg Whinfield.

By Adam McNicol

Article first appeared The Sunday Age June 24, 2012