Anthony Miles: How I went from learning to walk again to playing in a grand final

Not only had his season been cut short by injury but the extent of damage to the Albury co-coach's foot was proving life-changing.

"I was in a cast and I pretty well had to learn to walk again," Miles said.

"I couldn't pick up our daughter for three or four months because I couldn't put any weight on it.

"It was a really tough time, we obviously went out in straight sets in the finals as well and to not be able to coach that first final, having just come out of surgery, that was pretty tough.

"But I'm so blessed with an amazing support network of my wife, Laura, my beautiful daughter Hallie and my extended family, Mum and Dad, my two brothers and their families.

"As for the Albury football club and the community there, it is a family.

"We nearly had to go and buy a freezer this time last year because of the amount of food we were getting delivered from people around the Albury footy club."

With the fundamentals of everyday life proving more of a challenge than ever, where did football sit in the mind of the former GWS, Richmond and Gold Coast player?

"I'm not going to lie, I was told by people that I would never play footy again," Miles revealed.

"Footy's been a massive part of my life for a long period but at 31, and with a young family, that came into it.

"My biggest motivator, though, was my daughter and my wife and their support.

"I get to do the fun stuff, I get to run out there on the weekend and I get to go to training three times a week.

"Laura's the one at home who's putting Hallie to bed and she's the one worrying about surgeries; she's a physio, helping me with my recovery.

"She's the real star of the show and I'm just the lucky one who gets to go out and do what I love."

There was a stubbornness to Miles' recovery, a determination to defy the prognosis of the medical professionals who predicted he would never take a mark or kick a goal again.

"Those close to me probably thought that was the worst thing a surgeon could say to me," Miles said.

"Mum and Dad joke, saying 'why did they say that?'

"Having Shaun Daly come on board as a coach and Chris Hyde, Luke Packer, Dale Carroll, these guys being able to take the load off me as a coach and allowing me to focus on my rehab there for a large part of the season at the front end was just huge.

"They've all played a massive part and the Albury footy club and the community and my family are the ones to thank for me getting back."

But as pre-season neared its end, Miles still had no idea when he would be in a position to pull the No.11 jersey back on.

The Lisfranc injury - a dislocation of the metarsal and tarsus bones - required reconstructive work and the 'hardware' was still inside his foot.

"As a group, we spoke at the start of the year about what our 'why' was and mine was to get back playing, to sing the Albury song with my daughter in my arms," Miles said.

"To be able to do that after the preliminary final was pretty emotional and very exciting.

"It's been a difficult period and I'm so glad to be out the other side of it."

Miles made his comeback against North Albury on July 8, almost 11 months after being stretchered off at J. C. Lowe Oval, and has played in seven of the Tigers' nine games since - including all three finals.

"It's been amazing," Miles said.

"To now be in the grand final a reward for a lot of hard work in my three years at the club.

"I know the club's previously had some success but we constantly speak about squad mentality and to have both grades in is really exciting.

"I just got the sense in the rooms after the game (on Sunday) that whilst everyone was really excited, we've still got a job to do.

"As a coach, the pleasing thing was we didn't go over the top with it.

"Yes, we're excited and enjoyed the win but with an eye on next week.

"To be able to run out and play on Sunday is going to be amazing but there's a sense of unfinished business and wanting to get the job done, which I feel we're really capable of.

"For me, it's like you've tried to get drafted and now you've got drafted, so the hard work starts. It's all about what you want to make of it, you've got that opportunity and it's now about converting that on Sunday."

The only grand final appearance of Miles' career came in 2017 at Richmond, when the Tigers won their first AFL premiership for 37 years - but he was picked instead to play for the reserves in the VFL decider against Port Melbourne.

The Tigers lost by four points at Docklands Stadium, a week before Damien Hardwick's side rolled Adelaide in front of 100,000 at the MCG.

"A lot of my AFL career was spent on the edge, on the fringe," Miles reflected.

"It was a lot about individual performances and how I played 50/50 in the VFL and AFL.

"It was a really exciting time to be around Richmond, with the seniors going really well, but it's a little bit of a different feel this time as the coach and as a player.

"There was a little bit of disappointment at not being in the senior side, the last time I played, and there was also an element of putting my hand up in a grand final for the following week, in the AFL, so it's a little bit of a different build-up this week."

Miles has proved to be a perfect fit for Albury since coming back to community football, nurturing a young group through a time of transition, and the feeling is mutual.

"My expectation of Albury is a lot different to when I was 18, I'll be honest," he said.

"You see some things they've done in the community with James McQuillan, who's a really close friend of ours, and the work they've done for Fight MND, a cause pretty close to my family's heart as well.

"Coming to the football, the Ross Rieds of the world, the Joss family, the volunteers who all come and help every week, Aaron West, Pat Scammell, all these guys, it's a family atmosphere and I just enjoy seeing the joy on their faces as much as the players.

"Ross Ried was in tears after the game on Sunday and that's why we do it, that's why we play footy."

Miles will coach Albury alongside Shaun Daly again next year but his decision to recommit was only made after a great deal of thought.

"We're expecting our second child in November so the toll on Laura... while I was obviously coming back from those injuries, I get to do the fun stuff now," Miles said.

"But she was again really supportive and she's supported me my whole career, she followed me from Melbourne to the Gold Coast.

"It wasn't a question of if I wanted to do it, it was having her support - and I knew she would support me no matter what I decided.

"I just feel we're in a really good spot as a club and it's such a close, connected group, it was a no-brainer in the end."

George Horlin-Smith's availability is just one of many selection dilemmas facing the Tigers staff over the next 48 hours.

"We've had close to 60 guys play for the footy club this year," Miles said.

"A lot of the attention will be on the senior 22 but there's going to be some really difficult conversations with 10-12 guys missing out in the seconds who won't get a chance to play at all.

"They're the guys I feel for and that probably doesn't get the news headlines as much as some of those guys who have played a lot of senior footy but they're just as much a part of this group as anyone.

"I speak to the boys about outcomes and outcome focus and there's no denying that it's there (the thought of winning the flag) but it's our process and how we go about it.

"We've been exceptional in that and the disappointing thing was I felt we let ourselves down in some of those areas we pride ourselves on when we played Yarra last time.

"But we get another go at it, it's a great experience for a young group and I can't wait for Sunday."

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