Mark Elphick at ANZAC Park.
They certainly don’t make them like him anymore… Mark Elphick is the player every side and every club begs to have. And luckily, the Tigers have never had to beg nor plead for Elphick’s loyal services.
At 33 years of age, Elphick could quite easily be forgiven for hanging the boots up and being happy within himself at a super impressive footballing resume to date including having given incredible service to the club both on and off the field, but that thought seems to have not even crossed the nuggety forward’s mind.
Instead, he’s back lining up for yet another season in a role he has held more times than you can count on one hand – Gundagai Tigers Reserve Grade coach. The motivation this time more so than any other, seems different though. Elphick has been at the helm of the Tigers reserve grade side for six years, which is no mean feat. He has decided that now is the time to engage with fellow team mate Kyle Ramage who has been playing Fullback for the team for the last few seasons and doing a pretty good job in the position.
Elphick said, “I sort of got to the point in my life where I need to probably step back from coach and so this year, I’ve engaged Kyle.”
“ I think he’s probably a good succession plan. I don’t want to say that I want to fully go out of the coaching capacity, but maybe I think he’s a good guy to take over from me and have some fresh ideas. After six years, you kind of run out of new training drills, ideas and stuff like that. You need a new generation I suppose. I’m probably a bit of the past generation.”
Mark still has plenty of footy in him if he wants to continue, however, playing in the forwards can take its toll on the body more than playing in the backs. With Kyle in his mid 20s Mark is confident he is the man for the job. Mark is a crew leader with Essential Energy and has worked for the company for the past 15 years. He is a stayer. He has to juggle work commitments, being on call and coaching and playing. Sometimes they clash. 2024 has seen the Tigers go through a strong pre season and he says he has some good numbers ready to hit the ground running in the first match.
“It’s only February, a lot of people say that they don’t come until the first frost. So I think we’ve probably had a consistent 15 to 20. You know, at the time, yeah. Maybe not the same blokes, but there’s probably a group of about 10 that turn up every training and then the next five to 10 fluctuate a bit.” The Tigers steered clear of the West Wyalong knock out and Elphick had some valid reasons for why the club did so. He said, “It’s just too early for it. I think it’s just too early to prepare for your season. We’ve all played it a fair few times before. But whether you go well or bad in it, I don’t think it reflects on or prepares you for your year ahead. So I don’t kind of see the value in it, other than the bit of extra game fitness. And the money, I guess the money is probably the big carrot.”
“I think more strategic trials, you know, the few weeks before your season starts are better.”
“I just love the game, and love the club. I am also really determined to help the club continue to grow and encourage local kids to continue to play footy and eventually become Tigers first graders,” Elphick responded when questioned what it is that keeps him going. The positivity beaming from that statement alone, shows the Gundagai juniors could do much worse than to look up to someone like Mark Elphick.
A winner of five Group 9 premierships in total, three being Reserve Grade titles in 2016, 2019 and 2020, with the latter two as a player-coach, while his remaining two were First Grade titles in 2015 and 2018, you quickly get the sense this guy is the ultimate team man. Elphick shared a light hearted stab at himself regarding pre season. “I’m not sure if it’s because I am getting a little bit older and fatter, but this pre-season has been one of our toughest for a while. Guys like Wilson Hamblin and Corey Wilson are really leading the way, while Joel Field has never looked better. I am also excited by the return of Will Herring to the club.”
Loyalty in the current climate is a rare quality to experience let alone such a staunch support for a local sporting club, but the Gundagai Tiger’s future looks like it’s in safe hands while ever there’s humans taking care of it that bleed black and gold, just the way Mark Elphick does. He is setting the next generation up to follow his lead. By words and when on the field, definitely by example.
