George Alexander returns to Osborne from Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong

Alexander has spent the past two season with Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, helping the Lions to the Riverina League premiership last month and finishing runner-up in the league goal-kicking.

The 24-year-old's final tally of 59 was only bettered by his former Osborne team-mate Sam Stening.

Alexander won five consecutive premierships coming through the Tigers junior ranks and then played in the senior sides which won the flag in 2017 and 2019.

But this new chapter in yellow and black promises to be even more special.

"I've always wanted to get back there and we're moving back to Lockhart so the travel was a factor," Alexander said.

"We've got our first baby due on December 1, so a bit of that came into it as well, having Mum and Dad around the club to help us out a bit.

"I wasn't real sure whether I was going to go to Ganmain again for another year, that was up in the air, but I always had plans of coming back to Osborne.

"I suppose I took it for granted a little bit until I went somewhere else.

"It's a pretty special place.

"On Thursday nights there's 20-30 spectators out there on a regular basis and on big nights, you're getting up towards 40 or 50 people.

"The supporter base of the whole club is the big thing that stands out to me."

Osborne coach Joel Mackie is delighted to bring such quality back into his forward line.

"George is a local boy and a handy player too," Mackie said.

"He was pretty keen to come home and it's always nice to get someone back to the club.

"He was always going to come back, it was just a matter of when and the timing's right now.

"He's about to have a little bump, he's building a house in Lockhart and he works on the family farm so it makes sense to be back out this way.

"I think he's matured as a key position forward.

"He's good for the boys, everyone gets on really well with him and he's a known goal kicker.

"It allows us to play Duncan McMaster back or in the ruck, which was a luxury we didn't have this year."

The time away from Osborne was a mixed bag for Alexander, who only played seven games for the Lions in 2021.

"The first year I went to Ganmain, I had a pretty bunged-up ankle and sat out most of the year," Alexander said.

"This year just gone I had a reasonable season and we ended up winning the flag.

"It was a good start to the season for me, then I faded late but it was definitely nice to get a bit of success at the end of it."

Alexander made his senior debut as a 15-year-old and hasn't looked back.

"I played a couple of games that year and played a full season the next," he said.

"In 2017 we won the flag but then had a car accident and bunged up my knee pretty good

"I did my ACL, PCL and MCL so I did a pretty good job of it.

"I sat out all of 2018 and then came back in 2019.

"It was difficult to start off with, that's for sure.

"I remember the first practice game, looking for the first hit on it to go 'righto, I'm right now,' but I was definitely nervous.

"I re-injured it in the sheep yard one day, a sheep ran into me and I had to go back into a brace for a couple of weeks.

"I thought 'what's it going to be like playing footy when I'm getting smacked around by a sheep?'

"The boys got into me a bit for that one.

"I had to work pretty hard with it, a lot of gym work and strengthening work, physio and everything, but it's pretty good now."

Alexander will slot back into a Tigers side chasing its first premiership since that 2019 campaign, having lost a dramatic grand final to Holbrook after going 35 games unbeaten.

"I think there's going to be a fair bit of motivation," Alexander said.

"It was obviously hard for them this year but we've got a pretty good group there this year so I feel like everyone's going to be really hungry for it.

"It puts a bit of fire in the belly.

"I'll Iook to get myself fit, first of all.

"I probably haven't been real fit the last few years so I'll start off with that and see where I go, try to play my role and do what I can to get us up there."

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