Pre-Season Training for 2026 Commences

It has been nice to enjoy some time off after another very successful season for the Tigers with everyone taking the opportunity to have some holidays and travel but it will soon be time to get going again for another big year of footy.

While it has been quiet for a little while the club back office hasn’t been completely idle with enough important jobs necessary so that the club is ready for pre-season and the year ahead.

The first agenda item was ensuring that the Tigers are once again led by a well credentialled and capable Coaching group across all teams.

The Tigers are pleased to advise that triple premiership coach Jack Gartlan will once again lead the senior team with oversight of the overall group. Jack has been a constant for the Tigers since joining the club in 2016 from the North Shore Footy Club in the Barwon League. He was a Premiership player in his first season with the Tigers and followed it up with a Reserve Grade Premiership in 2019. If not for a difficult run with niggling injuries he would have significantly extended his fifty five senior appearances. It has however been in the coaching role where he has made a real name for himself at the Tigers taking the 2023 Reserve Grade to a Premiership with Bill Stephens and following that up with the Centenary Senior Premiership in 2024 and again in 2025 with Jeremy Watts. Jeremy has decided to step down for 2026 with family and work commitments limiting his availability.

Jack will be leading the team as the Head Coach for 2026 but he will once again be supported by the highly credentialled Tony Lynn as his Assistant. Tony has been the Assistant in both the 2024 and 2025 success stories as the midfield coach and will once again be integral to the Tigers season. A well known football identity in Queensland, Tony has an extensive CV having played for Carlton and Brisbane in the AFL and Central Districts in the SANFL. He is also a very experienced coach with most recent appointments at Mt Gravatt prior to joining the Tigers.

Jack and Tony will once again get quality support from Sean Doolan with his suite of analytics tools.

The Tigers Reserve Grade will be led by debutant coach Daniel Schmidt who gained valuable experience supporting the senior group in 2025 while unavailable for the season through injury. Daniel will continue to play Seniors in 2026 and be supported by Seb Shaw and Haydn Petersen. This is a young group of Tigers with plenty of passion for the club and a thirst for opportunity, knowledge and experience. The Tigers enjoy a long history of appointing young and capable players to these roles. The club thanks Danny Evans who is standing down for 2026 to concentrate on his footy after two very good years including the 2024 premiership.

The Thirds will once again be mentored by the very experienced Murray Laing as he enters his extraordinary eleventh season and he will share the role with playing coach Jake Magill. Jake performed this role in 2025 and after a remarkable sixteen seasons with the Tigers including over one hundred games in each of the seniors and reserves teams, he brings plenty of experience and passion for the position. The Thirds will be looking to continue their significant improvements in 2025 in the new year.

The Womens team will once again see Tom Hughes take the reigns with support from senior mens players Gus Shaw and Kyle Henry. Tom returned to the Tigers in 2025 to take on this important role and has introduced a structured programme which has led to significant improvement for the group during his tenure. He is very enthusiastic to see the group continue their trajectory in 2026. He is very pleased to have two capable and enthusiastic young men in Gus and Kyle at his disposal.

Pre–Season commences for all teams on Tuesday 2nd December 2025 at 6pm at the Mott Street Den with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 18th December 2026.

Training will recommence on Tuesday 13th January 2026. 

For all enquiries regarding playing for the Tigers in 2026, please email to president@maynetigers.com.au

Contacts for Coaches areSeniors—Jack Gartlan 0403 467 958Reserves—Daniel Schmidt 0402 698 035Thirds—Murray Laing 0468 623 650Thirds—Jake Magill 0431 842 863Womens—Tom Hughes 0414 960 783