By Janessa Ekert
After four years playing for his beloved Bakers Creek Tigers, Ashley Ryan has stepped up as the new head coach for the 2016 season.
And he said the squad was determined to prove they are a force to be reckoned with.
"There's a lot of excitement and buzz around the club this year," he said.
"The team is keen to get into it."
Ryan, 26, grew up in Geelong supporting the Richmond Tigers.
"It's in the family, the yellow and black," he said.
So when he moved to Mackay in 2012 and saw there was a Tigers team that wore yellow and black he thought, "Yep, that's for me," he said.
He'd initially lived in Calen and made the 45-minute commute so he could play for the team.
"It was my first chance to play for the Tigers," he laughed.
Last year, when injuries kept him from playing, he had a taste of coaching and liked it. "It's just a great opportunity to lead the club that I'm so passionate about," he said.
On the back of a less-than-stellar 2015 season, the Tigers were motivated and planned to be competitive.
"We've picked up several good players, we've recruited really well," Ryan said. "It will make a huge difference."
Ryan said "effective communication" would also be key.
"There'll be a lot of preparation going into our games," he said.
Ryan, a backman, would still play for the team as well. He has been playing AFL since he was six years old.
"You're basically born into AFL living in Victoria. As soon as you're watching television, you're watching football," he said.
"I love being around the team environment."
Ryan said the club culture taught players a lot of life skills. Training will start back up on January 12, he said.
Last Modified on 02/02/2016 14:14