AT THIS time of year, the talk around footy clubs is about recruits. You start with this year's recruits. Then, because you love talking about it, you cast your mind back to recruits from the old days.

You talk about the good ones, the bad ones, the ones that cost a bomb. Then, perhaps, you talk about the memorable key forward, the one with the great hands and the betting problem, who booted a 60-metre goal in his first game and then tried to have his way with the president's daughter. Then you get on to "Juka", who qualifies in many or all of the categories just mentioned.

Brett "Juka" Jukawics started out in the Geelong reserves in the mid-1980s. From there, he went to Essendon and from there, he became one of the most travelled footballers in Australia, with stints at Mayne in Queensland, Wanderers in Darwin, East Perth, western Victoria and a long residency at Melbourne's Tunnel nightclub, where one night he crawled around the dance floor biting women's ankles.

His first stop after Essendon was Yarrawonga, where he had a season in 1988. He also played with the Pigeons in 1991 and '93. In Yarrawonga, Juka contributed very little to community spirit. He lived in a hovel and filled out TAB tickets. Sometimes, he kicked goals.

At the end of 1993, Shepparton club Lemnos asked Yarrawonga whether it would recommend him as a coach. Yarrawonga officials advised them that a rubbish bin would make a better coach than Juka, but the big forward was in charge at Lemnos for a season. Or nearly a season. With a couple of games to go, he caught a train out of town and was never seen again.

The theme of trains takes us to the Riverina in early 2001. Juka was working as a ganger for a railway contractor near Temora when he agreed to play for the local club. But by footy season time, the gang was working further south, in Finley.

In Finley, Juka drank at the Tuppal Hotel, where mine host was Juka's former Geelong teammate Darren Jackson. One Sunday, at 2am, Jacko was cleaning up after a night behind the jump when Juka asked if he could have a lift to Coolamon the next day. Jacko was stunned when Juka said he had to play footy.

Juka overcame his preparation to be among Temora's best. In the bar afterwards, Jacko began chatting to Coolamon coach Wayne Weidemann, the former Adelaide defender. Jacko and Weed had been teammates at SANFL club South Adelaide.

Juka was so taken by the bonhomie in the Coolamon rooms that he made a night of it. Then he made a day of it. On Tuesday morning, two days after Jacko had obliged his old Geelong teammate with a lift to the footy, he nosed his car into the driveway.

This time last year, Brett Jukawics was in Cairns. Later, he was said to be in Perth. At footy grounds around Australia, they're talking about him.