Marty Bahr set to notch 200-match milestone with Osborne on the weekend

A talented junior, Bahr won the league medal in the fourths in 2003.

But he openly admits he found the going tough to break into the side under coach Graham Hart.

"When I first came out of the thirds, I would crack it for a couple of senior games then get dropped to the reserves," Bahr said.

"I sort of struggled a bit for consistency but kept working on my deficiencies and was able to turn things around."

Fast forward a decade and Bahr is one of the first picked for the Tigers each week.

Bahr, 31, is set to celebrate his 200 match milestone on the weekend which will coincide with the Tigers unfurling their 2019 flag when they host Rand-Walbundrie-Walla.

The skillful midfielder's career is littered with highlights.

Bahr is a triple best and fairest winner with his junior club and a Des Kennedy medallist in 2019.

He also captained the Tigers for four seasons alongside the Hume interleague side.

It's no surprise that he is also a four-time premiership player with his beloved Tigers.

Bahr is also the designated bus driver each week that drives the players from Wagga to training.

IN OTHER NEWS

Surprisingly, Bahr rates the Tigers' most recent flag triumph as the highlight of his career so far.

"I really rate the 2019 flag," he said.

"We were the underdogs heading in and to cause an upset took a special effort.

"To be honest, I feel lucky to have played one game for Osborne so to think I will be running out for my 200th on Saturday is something that I will cherish.

"I'm very proud of the achievement.

"I feel fortunate to have played alongside some Osborne greats including Hayden and Matt Gleeson, Anthony Armstrong and all the Gooden brothers.

"I feel extremely privileged to play 200 matches for such an outstanding club.

"Having to work for my spot in the early years makes me appreciate this achievement even more and I certainly don't take any game for granted."

Bahr said he was fortunate enough to have several role models that he admired early on in his career.

"I used to look up to blokes like Darren Howard and Hayden Gleeson," he said.

"Osborne have also had some outstanding coaches that were good for my development.

"Gavin Graetz was great for me," he said.

"Daniel McAlister was also massive and really helped me realise my full potential and seemed to be able to get the best out of me.

"I also rate Matt Rava highly and Graham Hart also showed a lot of faith in me."

Bahr has played predominantly as a midfielder but said he is relishing his new role playing on a wing.

"The body is feeling good and playing out on a wing is not as demanding on the body," he said.

"Hopefully it prolongs my career for a few more years."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: