Stephen Ash made such an impact at Albury, he was, quite remarkably, named in the club's Team of the Century.

Given the Tigers were an inaugural member of the O and M in 1893, it says everything about Ash's influence.

The strongly-built centreman arrived in late 1995, just months after Albury had snapped a 10-year premiership drought.

He was 26 and a star in the neighbouring Goulburn Valley with the Shepparton Bears.

"I had eight years there and I was just starting to get a bit stale, so I just needed a change," he said this week.

"My cousin Andrew was playing at Albury, he'd gone to college up there and I was good mates with Stu Hodgson, who played at Mooroopna.

"As soon as I met with 'Spargs' (coach Paul Spargo), he showed me around the (Albury) sportsground, I thought, 'this is it for me'.

He might have been a big-name recruit in a star-studded team, which included former Sydney Swans and North Melbourne player Glenn Page, but Ash wasn't above criticism.

"When he first came, he turned up a little bit podgy, I think he was drinking too much milk," team-mate Michael Buchanan laughed.

"His family owned a dairy and I think he was hooking into the milk too much, so I think 'Sprags' and 'Turns' (chairman of selectors Mark Turner) told him to tone it down on the milk (laughs)."

That first impression was just a memory after only one game.

"He was just consistent, particularly big games, he'd never go missing in big games," Buchanan said.

"I never saw him have a bad game.

"He's probably in the top three I've played with.

"He was a Michael Voss-type style, big and bulky and strong as a bull, he could run all day."

The beautifully balanced Ash claimed the best and fairest in the Tigers' 1996 premiership and was pipped for the top gong the following season as the club rounded out a hat-trick of flags.

"We were all there for the same reason, there were ne egos," Ash said.

"There were a lot of country blokes, like the Wagga boys, and it was just a really tight group.

"I played footy just to play with mates and I made a lot of good mates up there at Albury."

Page claimed that 1997 best and fairest and Ash rates him the best Tiger in his two-year stint.

He also says premiership mentor Paul Spargo was the best coach he played under.

As well as being a gun player, Ash is also highly regarded for his football nous but, interestingly, the 50-year-old never had senior coaching aspirations, although he works at under 15 level with the Goulburn Valley-based Football Academy and also spent the past three years with the Murray Bushrangers.

"I'm just not big on getting up and talking in front of people," he said.

And Ash also works long hours on the family orchard at Invergordon during summer, making it difficult to coach.

In 1998, Ash returned to the Bears, where he finished as the games' record holder with 309, including six best and fairests, three premierships and two Morrison Medals.

His record was only toppled this year by Nick Allan, a multiple winner of the Stephen Ash Medal.

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Ash's record is comparable with virtually any player in the Border and North East - with the exception of Wangaratta Rovers' five-time Morris medallist and 12-time best and fairest Rob Walker (whose record towers over every player) - but he never had any serious offers from AFL clubs.

"No, not really, I was always so slow, I was as slow as a wet week," he said.

"Hawthorn and Collingwood shared a little bit of interest, but it was nothing to speak of."

Ash's 18-year-old son Lachie is loaded with pace and Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy is one of a number of number of highly respected broadcasters to rave about his prospects.

"Lachie's got me covered or so he keeps telling me," Ash laughed.

"I've never coached him, I don't think I could have.

"Actually, I coached him once, it was at Auskick and he spent more time sitting on the sideline because he was playing up.

"I've never tried to push too much on him, you've got to let them work it out for himself, but we're pretty tight yeah."

The younger Ash said recently his father had hardly missed a game, allowing plenty of father-son time.

"He's worked really hard and he's so dedicated, he's obviously talented, but there's a lot of talented kids, his work ethic and preparation set him apart."