United veteran Luke MacKinnon thought it was about time after more than 400 first-grade games and 23 years after his debut to take over the coaching duties.
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The 38-year-old stalwart of Canberra hockey will juggle both roles when the Hockey ACT Men's Capital League One season gets under way at the National Hockey Centre on Saturday.
United will begin the quest to win the club's first men's premier title since the late 1990s when it takes on Old Canberrans in the opening round.
MacKinnon has won five premierships with United since he was first ushered into the club's top-grade side as a 15-year-old in 1992.
Since then, he spent several seasons playing representative hockey with the Canberra Lakers and also had a season abroad in Spain where his wife, former Hockeyroo Peta MacKinnon, was playing professionally.
MacKinnon takes over the coaching duties from Aaron Hopkins and said it was an easy decision.
"I've stuffed about for long enough so I might as well coach the boys," MacKinnon said.
"I've seen the last few years, the guys who were 15 and 16 are now 18 or 19, there's half a dozen of them who are pretty talented.
"If we can continue with them and get them playing some constant first-grade hockey it will help us out a lot."
MacKinnon credits a change of position, moving into the centre of midfield, as the reason he has extended his playing career.
"I'll keep selecting myself until I'm useless ... I don't have to train and I can still play," MacKinnon laughed.
"Had you asked me a couple of years ago I would've said no, I was struggling, old man calves, but I seem to have gotten beyond that.
"I'm happy to point the finger and get the young blokes to do all the running."
Defending champions Central will again be the team to beat this season.
MacKinnon would love to win another premiership before he retires, but it's not his only motivation.
"I used to play because I wanted to win and it was all about the hockey, and now it's about the boys and having a beer after the game and the camaraderie," he said.
Women's State League fixtures start on Sunday, with the premier division not kicking off until April 11.
SATURDAY: Hockey: Men: Capital League One at National Hockey Centre (unless stated): Wests v St Pats, 2pm. Goulburn v Tuggeranong Vikings, 3.30pm. Albury v Central at Albury, 4.30pm. Old Canberrans v United, 5pm.
SUNDAY: Albury v Central at Albury, 11am.
