EVERY Thursday Osborne Tigers skipper Marty Bahr fires up the team bus, picks up his teammates scattered across the region and heads back into town for training.
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It's that team harmony which helped propel the Tigers to a second Hume League premiership in three years with a 36-point win over Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock on Saturday.
The Tigers celebrations were in full force on Mad Monday at Wagga's William Farrer Hotel on Monday with a couple of players dressing up as movie character Ron Burgundy, another Where's Wally, even a dinosaur.
But it was youngster Declan Galvin who was best on ground for his get-up as long-haired key Saint Nico Sedgwick.
"Izaac McDonnell did a number on him on the weekend so a few boys are appreciating Declan's get-up today," Tigers coach Matt Rava said.
"There's always a good crew with the dress up."
Rava, who will hand over the coaching reins next year to focus on playing, said they learned the right lessons from their 16-point loss to the Saints in the second week of finals.
"We set a really good base early in the year with our fitness, game style and run and spread. We didn't do it efficiently enough two weeks ago, and Brock Burrum deservedly went through to the grand final," Rava said.
"We're mostly locals in terms of being on farms around Osborne and the district, but a lot of fellas come into town (Wagga) for school or uni or work purposes.
"We have a really good structure where we train in Wagga on Tuesday and head out to Osborne on Thursday on the bus. Marty Bahr, the captain, drives the boys out most weeks.
"Next year I'd like to just take a back seat and play, concentrate on my own game and finish off well that way.
"The last four years (of coaching) have been amazing and the club has been very good to me and the family. I'd like to repay them with another year.
"I'm 35 and we've talked to the club about progression. I've done four years and it's good to get a new voice in, the club's working hard to appoint a good quality coach for next year."
Midfielder Bahr, who won the Des Kennedy medal as best-on-ground in the grand final, said bowing out in the first week of finals last year gave the Tigers the spur they need to climb the summit again.
"Losing in the first week last year gave us that bit of drive to get that winning feeling back," Bahr said.
"This is my fourth flag, every couple of years we seem to win one which is pretty nice.
"We learned a lot from the last time we played them two weeks ago. To come in with no pressure and play our game, it worked out really well."