After returning to the family farm at Tungamah when he finished boarding school in Melbourne, Cooper hadn’t really thought about playing anywhere else than with the Bears.

But then his mates started to get in his ear and an official approach came from Yarrawonga.

“It’s not something I had thought about a lot but in the end I guess I thought I should give it a try,” Cooper said.

“‘Snout’ (Craig Ednie) was coaching and I think he rang in November and I rocked up for training in February.

“I pretty much did it off my own bat in the end.”

Six years later, few have packed more into 99 matches than the Yarrawonga star.

He’s played in five successive grand finals and won two premierships since joining the club in 2010, won a best and fairest, represented the Ovens and Murray and this year took over as the Pigeons’ captain.

While many would argue, the modest midfielder puts it down to luck.

“I was just fortunate to land at the club at the right time,” he said.

“My timing has been pretty good.

“We have been lucky to have so many good players.”

Former coach Chris Kennedy first introduced Cooper to playing accoun- table head-to-head football against some of the league’s elite players with the ball-magnet saving some of his best matches for grudge matches against Albury.

While he nominates Marcus McMillan as the best player he has played alongside who hasn’t been on an AFL list, he finds it more difficult to pick his toughest opponent.

“There have been a few of them,” he said.

“We have had a lot of tussles with Albury obviously and I have played on blokes like Joel Mackie but then you have players like Kade Stevens and Matt Pendergast from Lavington.

“It’s hard to pick one out.”

Cooper, 29, admits Yarrawonga is presently facing its toughest challenge in his time at the club, with the Pigeons being hamstrung by injuries and dropping two of their opening three matches of the season.

But he’s equally as confident they can fight their way out of trouble.

“Absolutely (we can bounce back),” he said.

“It’s a different side with four or five kids coming up from the thirds and we have had some experienced players out injured.

“Hopefully we can hang in there and by the second half of the season be in pretty good shape.”

It’s not something I had thought about a lot but in the end I guess I thought I should give it a try.