A Waaia boy born and raised, Mark Meyland said the reception to the announcement from the Cobram community had been welcoming.
“I’ve had texts and phone calls from people that I haven’t spoken to for a while from around [Cobram], which is nice,” Meyland said.
Meyland, a forward on the field, was part of the senior side that brought home the 2005 premiership flag for Waaia Football Netball Club in the Picola & District Football Netball League.
He began his footy career as a junior at Waaia in the 1990s before moving up through the ranks to play his first seniors game in 2003.
Before accepting the position with the Tigers, Meyland stepped up to coach the Waaia seniors.
In 2023, looking to see game time again, Meyland played in the Waaia reserves side.
But throughout this year, Meyland said, he began to get the itch to coach again.
“I think with my playing days done, it’s a great time for me to get out to explore a different club and a different league at that,” he said.
“The thing that excites me the most [about the opportunity at Cobram] is the age of the playing group. It’s getting to the stage where those guys are getting some experience.”
As next year’s head coach for the Cobram seniors, Meyland said any improvement from the previous year was a bonus.
“Watching guys improve is the best thing from the start of the year to the end of the year,” he said.
Meyland also highlighted the potential in the Tigers’ youth teams.
“There’s a lot of talent coming up through the thirds as well,” he said.
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