Tenace still up to the Mark

And at 68 years of age, he says there is more to come.

The friendly banter, the camaraderie and watching the progression of young players coming through the ranks still fuels his passion for the game and the urge to keep playing.

Many years ago, a friendship with one of Cooma’s top cricketers, Peter Watson, led to Mark pulling on the pads with the club in 1974.

Apart from one year when he played with some footy mates at Girgarre, he has been part of the Cooma furniture ever since.

Mark has played a handful of games in the club’s top team but has mainly turned out in the lower grades, where he has made his share of runs.

Mark said he had experienced many changes in his time at Cooma.

The advancement of a tin shed to a modern clubhouse, malthoid to turf wickets, the addition of a second oval, an increase of two teams to six and a female side formed this year, present-day online scoring updates and heat restrictions have all happened on his watch.

‘‘Once you used to play if it was 45 degrees, but you can’t do that anymore,’’ Mark said.

Mark rates Lackie Ranson, his son Paul and Michael Hill as the best players the club has had in the modern era.

‘‘Lackie has been the heart and soul of the club in my time. What he has done for the club on and off the field is really amazing,’’ Mark said.

Of his teammates in the lower grade, he rates Bernie Dreher and Ken Gray as two of the better players he played with.

Mark has played in 12 grand finals — a club record — with a six-six record.

He rates captaining one of these premiership sides as a personal highlight of his days with the club.

And if Mark had his time all over again, he wouldn’t change much.

‘‘It’s just been a privilege to have been at this club for so long and still there,“ he said.