Joel Mackie believes some people will be surprised by his coaching style at Osborne.
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The former Albury star led the Tigers in 2017 alongside Shaun Daly and admitted he wasn't right for the role at that time.
But Mackie, who called time on his 11 years at the sportsground at the end of last season, is more reflective now and ready to help the Hume league premiers go from strength to strength.
"A lot of people probably see me as really aggressive and loud and an enforcer but it's just about continuing what they've already laid," he said.
"I don't have to come in and change a lot, I can just add to and guide certain aspects of their game.
"Coaching in 2017 has definitely helped me now and I'm a lot better off for it.
"It was challenging for me at times.
"I don't know, looking back now, whether it was the right fit for me to coach the group I'd been with for so long.
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"I'd been in the coaching system there as an assistant since 2011 and seen a few coaches come and go after Paul Spargo and I really wanted to do it but it got to a point in the end where I shouldn't have done it.
"It's great in hindsight to say that now but I did really enjoy certain things about it.
"I learned a lot and what I can take out of that into Osborne now is going to be huge for me.
"It's about having good support around you as well and not trying to do everything yourself."
The three years Mackie spent playing under Spargo can only help to mould him as a coach.
"He had the respect of the players and he was a really good motivator for me," Mackie said.
"He was a good communicator, could come down to your level and just knew how to work each player.
"You've got to treat everyone differently and he was really good at doing that.
"I was probably a lot different to everyone else early days but he could communicate with me really well.
"I don't reckon he really had to get into me but he could just sit me down and say 'righto, how's this or what about this?' and put a different perspective on certain things which really opened my eyes.
"It was about controlling myself in the first year and he'd always back me.
"He'd know when to tell me something or when to rev me up.
"He could pick those moments really well.
"It's all about communication and he knew how to work a group and talk to the right people."
Osborne will unfurl its premiership flag against Brock-Burrum in round one.