Mark Gibson barely knew the rules of Australian Rules when he started coaching his daughter's side five years ago but he heads into 2024 as a premiership winner.
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Gibson will again lead Orange Tigers' youth girls team after finally winning the grand final after years of falling just short.
Their 33-13 win against Bathurst Giants was made all the more sweeter due to the fact they did it at Tiger Park.
For Gibson, it's a been a rewarding journey in a sport he knew little about when his kids started playing.
"This will be my fifth season," he said.
"Every season I've coached we've made the grand final and we had gotten very close but fallen at the final hurdle but last year we finally managed to go all the way. It was very rewarding."
"I'm not from an AFL background, I only got involved when my kids started playing, two boys and two girls.
"I watched them play for several years and when my daughters started they needed a coach so I put my hand up."
Back at it
Gibson's journey stands in stark contract to the under 14 coaching duo of Andrew McIntyre and Dale Hunter.
Both men have a long history playing and coaching Tigers teams with Hunter the most recent premiership coach for the tier one men's side back in 2018.
They've also spent time living in AFL-mad areas and so have been keen to impart some of the corresponding wisdom to the Tigers juniors.
Safe to say it's worked with premierships flowing for whatever team they take charge of.
Hunter said the under 12 side was an impressive group, winning the flag despite not having big numbers.
"The under 12s team went back to back," he said.
"We only dropped one game and we didn't have huge numbers but the numbers we did have were pretty good.
"Good back, good forwards and good midfielders - they were a very easy group to coach.
"During the regular season we play with 12 and the Bathurst teams play with a bit extra but when it gets to the business end we even up numbers.
"The kids enjoy the extra space on the field with the fewer numbers and there's a bit more freedom, you find the game opens up a bit."
McIntyre said he had been lured back to coaching when his son started playing and said the under 12 cohort moving up would be well equipped to handle the rigours of the older age group.
"I started out as a player like most people, coached reserve grade and first grade but I'm now coaching juniors because my son is playing," he said.
"The advantage for our kids is that they are always on the field so they get fitter and have to play more positions because they move around the ground a bit more.
"They learn more about the game."
