By Tara Murray
Ben Tankard has stood down as Macedon coach after two years at the helm of the Riddell District Football League club.
Tankard told the playing group on Sunday after their elimination final loss to Rupertswood, that he wouldn’t continue on. The club announced the decision publicly on Tuesday night.
Tankard said it had been a tough decision to make, but in the end he and the club were going in different directions.
Macedon made finals in both of Tankard’s years and he said he had built some really good relationships at the club.
“I made up my decision a few weeks ago,” he said.
“We’ve been in discussion for four to five weeks now and the club is looking to go in a different direction and looking at a rebuild.
“It was a tough decision and I was desperate to stay, but we couldn’t come to an agreement.
“In a three year period, we’ve had an awesome team which landed a premiership, but they are now looking to scale it back and look after the future.”
Tankard said last year’s performance where they only just missed out on a grand final was a highlight of his time coaching the Cats.
He said they thought they had to team to win the premiership, but they lost in the preliminary final to eventual premier Diggers Rest.
He said he thought this year was a failure and took some responsibility in that.
“We were inconsistent,” he said.
“On Sunday, after 15 minutes we were outclassed and ran into the wrong team. They were simply awesome.”
Despite the disappointment of this year, he said having the opportunity to blood so many under-20 players would leave the club in good stead moving forward.
Tankard said he would love to continue is coaching career.
He said if he doesn’t get a job for next season, he wants to continue on as RDFL interleague coach.
“I’m definitely keen to keep on coaching,” he said.
“I will be looking and whether there’s an opportunity next year or I have to have a year off.”
Tankard is the second RDFL coach to announce that they won’t be coaching on next season.
Woodend-Hesket is also after a new coach, with Tom Carland not continuing on out there.
