TRIPLE Albury premiership star Shaun Daly says leaving the Tigers is one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make.
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In a double blow to the Tigers, decorated 27-year-old midfielder Daly and key position player Jay Koehler, 23, confirmed yesterday that they would soon relocate to Queensland.
Daly, last year’s Morris medallist, said he would leave with a heavy heart after three premierships from his four years at the Ovens and Murray power.
The duo are yet to sign with a Queensland club but state league side Burleigh Bombers is the frontrunner.
“I’ve been very bloody lucky,” Daly said yesterday.
“Albury has looked after me.
“It’s been the hardest decision I’ve had to make.
“It’s been very hard to tell the boys. If it was a footy decision I would have stayed at Albury.
“Albury has been very supportive, the place is amazing.”
The former Howlong juniors and Ovens and Murray representatives both indicated they are likely to return to the Border at some stage.
Koehler, who has played in two Albury flags, said he had put off moving to Queensland for several years.
“I’ve been thinking about this for the past three years,” he said.
“It was always going to happen eventually.
“I went up there the other week and it was pretty nice.”
Daly, an accountant, plans to work and live in Brisbane.
The two-time Tigers best-and-fairest winner, who joined the club in 2009 after a hat-trick of best and fairests at Keysborough, said the lifestyle change was a lure too hard to refuse.
“I’ve only sort of made up my mind in the past week that I’d be living in Brisbane,” he said.
“It’s more of a work and lifestyle choice and it would be good if Jay and I can play together.
“You don’t like to put a timeframe on it but I’d definitely like to come back and settle in the Albury area.”
Daly and Koehler join Sam Milne (Central District) and Mark Bush (Thurgoona) as confirmed Albury departures.