Luke Daly announces his departure from Albury

Luke Daly confirms he will leave Albury Tigers after the Ovens and Murray grand final

Transcript

00:00 you know what playing in Grand Finals is all about, how does the feeling compare this week

00:04 that you'll be sending your team out and once they cross the white line you're watching them?

00:08 Yes, it is. No, it's a different feel. Obviously you'd love to be out there playing but

00:14 yeah I'm really enjoying being able to coach and teach players. You know I guess I do have a bit

00:21 of experience with Grand Finals, played in a fair few so a lot of those players have come to me and

00:25 asked me questions and I guess I don't have to worry about getting myself up to play which is

00:30 a good thing for me to focus on someone else apart from myself. So it's been really enjoyable,

00:36 got a really young group and I'm really enjoying how much that they listen and that they want to

00:41 learn. So yeah trying to get them in the right mindset and teaching a few things that's why I

00:46 need coach mate, that's why I love it. And Luke you've been there, got the t-shirt before,

00:51 you've celebrated milestones at the club, what's the significance of Sunday for you?

00:56 Oh it's a grand final, it's a chance to go through the year and be crowned the best team of the year.

01:02 So yeah it's huge and I'm really looking forward to it. It'll be my last game for the Tigers so

01:10 it's just for our group, some recognition. I felt probably it's been a couple of years,

01:15 you know with the COVID year we probably got cut short, we probably didn't get the chance

01:20 to have a crack at it. So I feel for our group now it's just a chance to really show some

01:28 recognition for the group, for the hard work we've put in and it's for both teams. But

01:32 it's a huge occasion, I can't wait and I know the boys are chomping at the bit,

01:37 it's still a long time until we get to run out there but the excitement is building hugely.

01:43 End of an era for you, why did you decide it was time?

01:48 Everyone's getting quicker, I felt like I was probably getting slower, everyone's getting

01:53 quicker, it's probably a bit of both. So no look it's the group we've got coming through,

01:57 we've got a really healthy list, obviously both their grades are playing in grand finals on the

02:02 weekend. You see Jakey run a good example, won the best and fairest in the second. So

02:07 it's just, it comes to a time where you'd like to play forever at the end of the day but that's not

02:14 how it goes. So I felt it was a good time, the position we're in as a club,

02:19 as a group, as a healthy list, that was a good way to step out.

02:23 That's a great stage to finish but you don't want to have a runner's up

02:26 to finish your career at the Tigers, so are you determined to go out on the ultimate high?

02:31 Yeah absolutely, yeah. And that's not just for me, that's just the charities for the playing

02:38 group to all finish at the end of the day with a medal around your neck and to celebrate it. So

02:44 you know that's the cherry on top and that's what we're all aiming for.