Osborne will get its second Mackie family coaching experience, with former Albury Tigers star Joel Mackie signing on for the 2020 season.
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Mackie, who has one of AFL country football's most decorated careers, will follow in the footsteps of his father Rob, who coached the Tigers in 1978 and 1979.
The younger Mackie has played in seven premierships, won two league Morris medals, two club best and fairests and captained the Ovens and Murray in a long representative career.
With the Hume league season still up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mackie sat down to talk about his move to Osborne.
Did your dad's background at Osborne play a big part in your decision?
It certainly has a nice family appeal to it, but the main reason was the way the club conducted themselves from the first time I met with them. The way they run the club reassured to me it was the path I wanted to take.
Your impressions of the facilities around the ground and the playing surface?
The playing surface is just incredible and the changerooms have certainly come a long way since I played juniors against them with the old hessian mat separating the teams. The clubrooms inside are incredible - I guess they needed a bigger room to fit all the memorabilia in!
Osborne has been incredibly successful in country football - what do you think makes them tick?
They are pretty unique in the sense that there is no town really and just farms around it. If they don't get it right, it is hard to keep it going. Everyone knows their role and they do it really well.
What are your thoughts on the style of football that Osborne play; would you change much?
No, not really. They play a very fast brand of football that moves the ball quickly, which has always been the signature of the best teams in the Hume. There are a few things we can tinker with, but in general there's not much to change.
What are your impressions of the standard of the league in general?
It's still a good standard - you get a lot of former Ovens and Murray players, or players who are good enough to play at a higher level but just don't want to take that step. Osborne's always had plenty of juniors who have had success or pushing through the junior sides that are going to be excellent players. They have had so many over the last 20 years like Adam Schneider who are just guns.
What are your thoughts on a potential late start to this season?
We are super keen and happy to get some part of a season in, but just as much for the sake of the communities like Osborne. Football and netball play such a big part in their weekly social activities and the wellbeing of families. If we have to keep playing in October for this year to get a season finished so be it, I think it would be a great result for everyone.