Mark Tyrrell takes over as Palmerston Magpies coach for 2024-25 NTFL season

A Palmerston Magpies champion has taken over the reins as coach to pull his beloved club out of a 20-year slump. Read what he had to say.

Palmerston Magpies two-time premiership captain Mark Tyrrell has returned as the club’s new coach, and is determined to help the side navigate out of their 20-year slouch.

Tyrell arrived at the club as an 18-year-old back when Sanderson High School was their training ground and there was very little identity besides regular beatings.

However, those times soon disappeared as the club experienced the most successful time in its history, winning the 2000-01 and 2001-02 premierships with Tyrrell as captain.

He left the club to pursue coaching and after gaining experience down south before taking up the job at Banks and later two successful years at the Katherine Camels.

Palmerston has struggled in the 20 years since — losing the grand final in 2003 and last made finals in the 2010 season.

Mark Tyrrell as the Katherine Camels coach. Picture: Supplied.

They’ve had several highs including an influx of AFL star power under previous coach Josh Heath, but regaining some success is what Tyrrell wants to see for his club.

“When I first came to the club as an 18-year-old it was worse than it is now, we used to get beaten by 25 goals every game,” he said.

“We had no facilities, we trained at Sanderson, we had no identity so I’ve seen and lived the club at its worst.

“But I’ve also seen the club go to its highest peak in back-to-back premierships and four grand finals in a row.

“I’m excited and hope that I can replicate that again and I’m not saying now I’m the guy to take them to the next premiership, but I can help them navigate out the rough times.”

Tyrrell has already announced his captain for the season in former Nightcliff Tigers premiership player Shaun Wilson, who spent last season in the Premier Reserves with Banks.

The man who had success at Tigers will bring winning experience with him as he links up again with his then-captain Phil Wills in the Palmerston squad.

Palmerston’s Mark Tyrrell. Picture: Michael Marschall

One of Tyrrell’s top priorities is to build on the success of Palmerston’s juniors, which the club has been unable to convert into top level performers at senior level.

“Shaun has seen success from the inside, everything he does is through pure work rate so I think his leadership as captain will lead our players in the right direction,” he said.

“The club is really well-placed, it’s the healthiest it’s been off the field for as long as I’ve known the place, the people we have are switched on, we just need to get the on-field part right.

“If you ask anyone about Palmerston they will say great juniors but for whatever reason they haven’t been able to capitalise on them coming through and that’s a big piece of the puzzle.

“The past few seasons they probably haven’t been the fittest side, but they’ve been behind the eight ball with other teams being so much better resourced.”

Palmerston Magpies captain Mark Tyrrell 'psyches out' Buffy before the NTFL 2001 grand final against the Darwin Buffaloes.

The Magpies will also have to share the Palmerston City area going forward with the Darwin Buffaloes set to have a permanent home at Woodroffe Oval.

However, Tyrrell said the added competition would be great for the area and encourage Palmerston kids to go to one of the two clubs rather than further afield.

“I don’t see it impacting us. If everyone who lived in Palmerston played for Palmerston they would have probably won the past 20 flags,” he said.

“But I do think competition is good for any organisation and having Darwin out there is going to really refocus what we have to do to make an environment that’s most desirable.

“If both clubs do that it will be great for the city and we can foster local players in our own area and they will choose one of those two instead of going elsewhere.”

Originally published as Mark Tyrrell takes over as Palmerston Magpies coach for 2024-25 NTFL season