The prolific midfielder, who is in his first year with the Tigers, revealed he is relocating from his Hamilton base.

Today’s race meeting will be his last as Hamilton Racing Club track curator before moving to Portland, where he has a position with manufacturing giant Keppel Prince.

Myles said he was clocking up about 1000 kilometres a week as he made the drive to training three times, as well as commuting to Mount Gambier where his girlfriend is based.

Myles, who played with North Warrnambool Eagles last year, is excited about leading the Tigers for the first time in next month’s pre-season cup at Port Fairy.

While the Tigers have recruited quality midfielders in Magarey Medal winner Luke Crane and the sought-after Jake Dignan, Myles is not planning a radical overhaul of the Tigers’ game plan.

“I haven’t come in and tried to change everything,” he said. “Portland are renowned for winning the footy and being hard at it so that won’t change.”

But he said he would have a greater emphasis on running the ball.

Myles said the Tigers needed to spread better from contests “instead of all running to the footy and playing pack footy”.

“You can’t get away with that in the Hampden league,” he said.

He said the Tigers had been training strongly.

“We are definitely excited where we are going and the club’s direction,” he said.

The Tigers are planning to hit the season running.

Myles said he would break with tradition and play a full-scale practice match the week before opening the season with a home game against Terang Mortlake.

“We are really trying to be cherry ripe for round one,” he said.

The Tigers will contest the pre-season , then play practice matches against East Gambier and Horsham Saints before hosting the Bloods.