Premier Albury is set to receive an unexpected present with Daniel Cross looking to stay.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It is a stunning coup for the Tigers, after it was originally thought the former Western Bulldogs’ best and fairest would play only the one season.
“It probably was only going to be the one year, but I had such a great time, I’m really looking forward to coming back,” Cross said.
“The club was fantastic, they were a terrific bunch of guys and given the taste of success, it was my first senior premiership, that was a real career highlight.”
Just how many games Cross will play will again depend on his commitments with AFL outfit, Melbourne.
Cross was the match-day runner last season, so Tigers’ fans will be hoping the Demons have a limited number of Saturday games.
“If it all works out well, Daniel should be right to play again, and that would be great for us,” coach Shaun Daly said.
Cross was one of the feel-good stories of the season.
He worked as hard as anyone to carve out a wonderful 249-game career at the elite level, before returning to his former club, where his family retains strong links.
He did not disappoint either and, despite playing less than half the matches, some judges thought he could be an outsider for the Morris Medal.
He finished tied for 12th on 10 votes.
Cross was then a runaway winner of the Did Simpson Medal in the Tigers’ 40-point grand final win over Lavington.
The 33-year-old made a mockery of the theory better players come back to the pack in the wet, his quick hands out of the centre setting up a stack of opportunities.
“Just to have so many family members and friends there on the day made it so special,” he said.
It will certainly be a busy year for Cross as he is also looking to return to university and complete a master’s degree.
The return of Cross will only shorten the Tigers’ odds of toppling Wangaratta Rovers’ record winning streak of 36 matches, set in the mid-90s.
The Tigers’ streak of 22 dates back to their final round of 2015, when they suffered a shock loss against Rovers.