The senior Tigers are still battling for a finals' appearance this year, likely needing to win each of its final two matches to make the top six, but the club is already preparing for the future, confirming former Melbourne Demon Marty Hore will take the reins from Ash Watson.
Club president Justin Cleary said plans to potentially make a change were in place before the start of this season.
“Ash indicated (before this season) that he didn't see that he'd be going another season,” he said.
“He hadn't completely made his mind up, but he just gave me a bit of a heads up that with a new job and a young family and all those things considered, that he possibly wouldn't be available for the following year (2027).
“That in conjunction with the fact that we'd already wanted to recruit Marty, it just made sense to approach him about whether Marty himself had aspirations to coach so it was just a really good scenario for us.”
Watson will leave the role after four impressive years in charge.
Serving three years as an assistant under previous coach Steven Stroobants, Watson took over for a rebuilding year in 2023, the club posting a 4-14 record.
However, the Tigers quickly turned things around in 2024, finishing third with a 13-5 record and making the preliminary final.
Watson was awarded the Senior Coach of the Year honour at the AFL Victoria Community Awards, and the Echuca-Moama Sportstar Coach of the Year award for his efforts that year.
The squad followed up with a 15-1-2 record in 2025, making it all the way to the grand final against Kyabram.
“It's been an enormous (contribution),” Cleary said.
“He came in at a really difficult time and not only was our town and community decimated, our playing list was fairly decimated too.
“We had some late departures leading up to that year (2023) that we didn't account for so Ash had to just focus on development, teaching a very young group senior football, and he did an incredible job in that first year putting a side together.
“We didn't have a lot of wins, but we had a lot of fun, and a lot of those players are now reaping the benefits and established in the senior side, so it was first class on his behalf under the circumstances.”
Incoming coach Hore played his first game with the club since his off season signing last weekend, in the defeat to Shepparton Swans, after rehabbing a knee complaint that kept him out for most of the year.
Like his head coach before him, the former Demons defender has served in the assistant coach role under Watson, and will come in with an established of the playing group.
“(Marty's) very well respected,” Cleary said.
“The playing group already really like him.
“At the moment we're just focused on seeing him play a few games with us, hopefully a final series, and then we'll get into next year as it comes.”
Hore played his junior football with Leitchville-Gunbower and the Bendigo Pioneers, and after a period with Collingwood’s VFL side was drafted by Melbourne in 2018.
He played 20 games over two stints with the Demons, before joining Rochester ahead of this season.
The Tigers host Euroa this week in the penultimate round and the club’s home finale.
The day will also feature the draw for the club’s fundraising raffle, with a Toyota Landcruiser Prado VX and $25 000 holiday package to be won.
The proceeds from the fundraiser will be directed towards a planned $5 million change room and social rooms upgrade.
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