Luke Daly accepts co-captaincy at Albury Tigers after stepping down as co-coach

The 35-year-old stepped down as coach at the end of last year but is ready to throw himself into a 13^th consecutive season of senior football at the Sportsground.

Daly insisted there was never any temptation to head bush all the time he's wanted by the Tigers.

"It never crossed my mind," Daly said.

"I was always playing at Albury.

"It's a place I love, a place I cherish, a place I've grown up in and a place that my kids are growing up in.

"It's hard to tell someone who hasn't been involved in the club what it actually means to you but it was never a decision, it was always something I was going to do, I was never going anywhere.

"The decision never crossed my mind.

"I just think you play the best football you can, while you can, at the highest standard you can, with the best players you can.

"What we've got at Albury, and probably a lot of clubs do in the Ovens and Murray, is we have high standards that we train at.

"I'm not a person who wants to go out and train half-hearted or play half-hearted.

"You're either all in or you're not in and that's something I feel we do well.

"We recruit people to the footy club and we have our junior players come through who have that standard.

"When you train at Albury and you play at Albury, you give your all.

"I still feel I can play at this standard and it was a non-negotiable; it never even crossed my mind."

ALSO IN SPORT

Daly will share the captaincy with Jim Grills and given the demographic of the Tigers in 2023, it's a role which carries even greater significance this year.

"We're a lot younger than we have been previously but we've still got some good experience there and some good leaders coming through," Daly said.

"Guys like Elliott Powell and Isaac Muller add a different dimension to the group and a lot more leadership.

"It's an exciting time for the club with our youth coming through, to see what they can showcase.

"Anthony (Miles) and Shaun (Daly) approached me and asked me if I'd do it and with the group we've got, I think it's exciting.

"I'll try to guide the group on the ground, particularly in the early days with Anthony not being out there.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity and it doesn't change the way I go about my football.

"It's just being able to provide some guidance to the players when they need it and some reassurance at times.

"I'm more towards the end of my career than I am the start of it so to have that opportunity at a club I love, the Albury footy club, the only club I've ever played at, to have that responsibility and have that role again, I'm rapt."

Albury head to Mulwala on Sunday for a blockbuster round one clash with last season's losing grand finalists Yarrawonga.

"The way things ended last year for us is definitely a motivator," Daly said.

"There was a lot of disappointment after losing two finals we had chances to win.

"There's a little bit of unfinished business because we know that's not us, that's not how we should have finished.

"We know we're better than that so there's plenty of drive internally."

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