"It's been different, that's for sure."

If it wasn't for spending time with the grandkids, and a little golf, he mightn't know what to do with himself in a season without sport.

'Tubby' is a Wagga Brothers life member. He's in an exclusive group of players who won multiple premierships at the club, in Group Nine as well as Group 13. And the Brethren have provided the backdrop to much of his life.

Suckling graduated into the senior club at its inception, 40 years ago this year. He was there for their last premiership, in 1995. And in recent years, the father of six remains a presence, helping out with Brothers' dominant leaguetag team and running the water for first grade.

It's kept him close to family and in contact with the club.

"I still enjoy it. The best thing about it is the mateship. That's it."

In 1980, Wagga Brothers' senior club was in its first (winless) season in Group Nine. But the reasons for its formation could be seen in the juniors.

"I played with Brothers in their first year ever, as captain of the under 16s," Suckling says, proud to lead a team that had won three straight junior premierships into a bright new era.

"We made the grand final in the under 16s grand final and got beaten by Young. But first grade copped a hammering (all year) so we got moved to Group 13 the next year. They had under 17s in Group 13, and we went through to the grand final undefeated and won."

That was 1981, the year Suckling also got a taste of first grade - the first of more than 250 games across 15 seasons.

"I made my debut down at Weissel Oval. It was a freezing cold day and you could not see, it was mud everywhere," he says. "I think we played Ladysmith. No-one wanted to play, except me. I wanted to play first grade!"

It was only a taste, and it was a win, as Brothers stayed on track for an unbeaten season in first grade too, as Graham 'Skippy' Saddler steered them to that historic first premiership. In 1982, they went back-to-back. By this time, Suckling was a senior player, but learning a harsh lesson.

"We won the major semi but I got dropped for the grand final. I played reserve grade and we won that. First grade won also and I was on the bench for first grade. Dropped for the grand final," he says with a shake of the head. "But, anyway..."

But anyway... at 18, he'd played a part in it. The next year he learnt how to appreciate that because, while Suckling had cemented his spot in first grade, they fell well short and for the first time since he could remember, his season finished without a grand final.

So in 1984, Suckling savoured a second shot. Led by another inspirational coach in Brian Lawrence, a talented young Brothers demolished a star-studded Batlow, 26-2 in the grand final at Weissel Oval - an achievement that remains a career highlight.

"We won with a very good young side," says Suckling, who was fullback, with Matthew Murphy and Lawrence in the halves and prop Brian Cobain leading the forwards.

"He was a good footballer, good front rower. That was the year we beat Batlow who had Paul Field (who had played State of Origin for NSW the previous year, picked straight out of Cootamundra).

"We blew them away after half-time. Yeah, I rate that up there. It was just a good young side, we were really close. Brian Lawrence was probably the only bloke over 25."

That was three premierships in four seasons for the new club in Group 13 but it couldn't remain that rosy.

More than 30 years on, asked about toughest opponents, Suckling simply names Tumbarumba... the team, the town, and the dreaded road trip. When he went to Tumbafest a couple of years ago, it was a surprise to discover you could enjoy it when there wasn't a game of football waiting for you.

"It was always tough going to Tumbarumba, because you knew you were going to be in for a hard game every time you went up there," he says. "It was always cold and they were tough every time."

The Greens beat Brothers in three grand finals in a row, from 1985 to 1987, with former Eastern Suburbs footballer and renowned country league coach Les Cleal coaching Tumba for the first two.

It was time for a change and Suckling had his one and only year away from Brothers in 1988, joining Batemans Bay. Success followed: he added a Group Seven grand final win to a growing, and glowing, resume.

The return to Wagga was rewarded in 1990 when Brothers, now coached by Mick Kennedy, led them back to the top of Group 13 again with a 36-6 grand final belting of Batlow at the once-dreaded Tumbarumba Showground.

But times were changing and as Group 13 was swallowed up in 1992, Brothers entered an ill-fated and short-lived partnership with Wagga Kangaroos in an expanded Group Nine.

Suckling stuck solid for the Kangaroo-Brothers merger representing the Brethren, even in a red-and-blue guernsey.

"I had an offer to go elsewhere but I went to prove that I could play in Group Nine, to prove myself coming from Group 13 and also from a Brothers perspective," he says.

A de-merger followed within 12 months, the red-and-green was back and, while the years passed, Suckling found the list of tough opponents to test you out just kept growing. From Turvey Park's Billy Noke and big Wayne Takata, to Cootamundra's fearsome former international Les Boyd, not to mention an Adelong-Batlow coach whose high-stepping knees could give you nightmares.

"The hardest bloke probably to tackle was Johnny Fifita," Suckling says, remembering the former Tongan international who had come down from St George.

"He was about six-foot-six and he had this big long stride."

After disentangling from 'Roos, the club's very future looked shaky. But early headaches were overcome, the on-field recovery was quick and in 1995 - 15 years after they'd been booted from Group Nine - Brothers were built for the kill, with Suckling still steering from the scrumbase.

What might've been the crowning moment of his career though was tinged with disappointment when a torn achilles after 20 minutes ended his grand final, and his playing days.

The upside was that even that early, Brothers were on their way to a famous premiership. On a day when everything clicked early, they thrashed Wagga Magpies 42-16.

The impact of a big New Zealand prop who spearheaded their season is always the first thing that comes to mind.

"Reece Guy. He. Was. Good," Suckling says with a chuckle and a shake of the head.

"He was just tough. And you couldn't upset him. They'd try to bait him but he'd just go, and go all day.

"One of their blokes tried to throw one in the grand final and Reece just went 'bang' with a little short one. First punch I ever seen Reece throw - just a little short jab - and it near knocked this bloke out, haha."

More names of talented teammates come flooding back from a memorable year.

"There was the Wiscombe boys, 'Coo' (Paul) Murphy, Mick Cook (who'd come from Super League's Sheffield Eagles), Mick Clarke, Darren Ball, the Eisenhauers, Tony Windle, Sid Williams... That was a real good side.

"They're all special, don't get me wrong, but that and '84 rate."

Guy was inspirational and Ball brilliant on grand final day.

But Suckling reserves special regard for the late Rick Keast - the coach who pulled a motley crew of characters together. And who wasn't afraid to soak up a long-awaited day of glory, asking Magpies if they wanted him to declare after a Murphy try in the corner started to turn it into a romp.

But leadership was his defining trait.

"The major semi we played Temora at Coota. It was a real hot day and were down 19-4 at half-time and we come home with a wet sail," Suckling says.

"They tried to belt Keasty out of the game. He had blood everywhere but he just kept taking it up and taking it up. He led from the front.

"He knew what he was doing (as a coach) and had lots of different drills for us. He was a top bloke. But he was tough too, and it was a real captain's knock every game."

For Suckling, the 1995 victory was a fifth first grade premiership and farewell to a distinguished playing career.

Suckling stayed on as an assistant to Keast for a year or two after the premiership before family commitments and kids sport took precedence. In time, son Josh would feature, going from juniors up to first grade in the club colours, before switching to Aussie rules. And two of his daughters took to leaguetag with passion.

"There was a time there when I might have had a couple of years away from the club. I remember someone saying to me once, 'I haven't seen you around that much.' I said, I've got five girls. If I had five boys it would've been different wouldn't it, instead of five girls?," he laughs.

"But the girls had their netball and dancing. And then lately Gab's got involved with the leaguetag and then Bridget.

"They do the hard work, they train hard, the girls. They do it really well and they're well coached. That's probably kept me going around the club. And I like running the water for first grade and helping out around the place if I can."

Gabby shone when she took up tackle, representing Riverina and NSW Country last year, but will give it up to tackle a new challenge in the police force.

Watching his girls' play a part in Brothers' extraordinary leageutag success has been "special" for Suckling, as it was to watch Josh shine in Marrar's memorable Farrer League grand final of 2017, delivering a big game for the Bombers when the chips were down.

But Suckling is adamant that he's just an onlooker, and their success isn't about him.

"You're proud, very proud. But you've got to give it to them. It's their premiership. They've done all the hard work," he says.

"My family's the most important thing in my life so anything they achieve is good. For Josh to do that, yeah... you end up a proud father."

Of course, Aussie rules is in the Suckling blood. It was only after the family moved to Wagga from Ganmain that 'Tubby's' neighbour and new mate, Mark Gooden introduced him to league.

It's ironic that he stayed for life, because the talented 'Goof' went the other way and became an Aussie rules sensation himself, with a shot at Essendon, and playing with Suckling's brother Barry at East Wagga.

"Barry was a gun. I'd go and watch when he was playing around here, and the first grade premierships he won - I always went to those. And helped him celebrate of course," he says.

Barry became a club legend at East Wagga-Kooringal, either side of a VFL stint with Fitzroy. But league remained Chris's lifelong passion.

Suckling's family link to leaguetag has kept him coming to the footy. Being on the field in first grade ensures he remains a keen student of the game.

He has mixed feelings 25 years after was in the middle.

"I think they over-complicate it sometimes, But that's probably saying I'm old school too," he says with a grin.

"All it is is a simple game where you catch the ball, run hard, tackle hard.

"And when you've got the ball, you have a bit of fun with it."

Don't ask him about the rotations. It's hard for a player who cut his teeth in another era.

"These forwards going off after 10, 15 minutes? Gee. Back in our day, you would never want to go off. If you got dragged you were embarrassed!" he says.

"The game today is obviously quicker. But in saying that ... (in our day) when there was a scrum, we used to run to a scrum and you had to pack it. Whereas they dawdle now.

"So I feel like we used to get more time in a game, if you know what I mean.

"But it wasn't as quick. These kids today are in the gym a lot - I never went to a gym in my life - and they're quicker and stronger today.

"Don't get me wrong... its still good football to watch. It's just a little bit different."

Suckling says an ex-NRL star who came to coach Brothers is probably the pick of local players he's seen in the modern era.

"Craig Field would have to be one of the best... he was good. But there's been so many."

Field was controversial but took Brothers closer than anyone else in a quarter-of-a-century, going all the way to a grand final in 2007, only to lose to Tumut.

Suckling isn't in despair. He thinks there's something special brewing.

"I'm pretty impressed with the kids Brothers have now. Well, not kids. They're men of course. Jimmy Hay, Connor Macaulay, Aaron Wynne, that group - they're all good mates, they've all matured a bit," he says.

Something about them reminds him of his own teammates back in 1984.

If only they can get on the field to test the theory.