Broadview Football Club coach Matt Burgess steps down

A division one Adelaide Footy League coach will attempt to save his club from relegation during his last game in charge this weekend after calling time on his three-year tenure.

A division one Adelaide Footy League coach has called time on his three-year tenure and will aim to lead his side to survival in his final game this weekend.

Broadview coach Matt Burgess, who led the Tigers to their first A Grade flag in 13 years with a division two premiership win in 2022, will depart the club at the end of this season to pursue an assistant coaching opportunity in the SANFL.

His side currently sits at the bottom of the div one ladder and will host Brighton, coached by close mate Brett Backwell – also stepping down at the end of the season – in a do or die clash for the final game of the minor round.

“I think I probably knew this year was going to be my last and I had to take the opportunity to better myself as a coach and going to another level,” Burgess said of his decision.

Broadview coach Matt Burgess will step down at the end of the season. Picture: Matt Oborn

“The club and supporters have been great for me and I’ve built so many friendships so I’m going to miss everyone involved.

“The playing group, I’m really going to miss them – it’s a fantastic group and the way they’ve gone about it and what they’ve done for me, even the way they embraced my two-year-old son, it means so much.

“I’m still focused on the task at hand though so I haven’t let any of it sink in really – we’ve got a huge game to win this weekend and I never really wanted to make it about me.”

Burgess experienced instant success when he took over in 2022, coaching a star-studded line-up to a division two premiership over Sacred Heart OC and earning the Tigers promotion to the top div.

The club has not reached the same heights in division one but Burgess believed it was in a strong position to make it to the top in the future.

Burgess led Broadview to a famous division two premiership in season 2022 and has kept them in the top division since. Picture: Brayden Goldspink

“The aim was always to get back up to division one and stay up and so far we’ve been able to do that,” he said.

“This year has had its challenges, we’ve had to play 41 guys in our A Grade throughout the season and have had some guys unavailable but this can be a positive because we’ve been able to debut a lot of players including six 18-year-olds, which will be big in the future.

“Everyone wants to play finals, but sometimes due to circumstances it isn’t realistic.”

Burgess hoped he could record one more key win with the Tigers in this weekend’s much-anticipated clash with Brighton and avoid dropping back down to division two.

Burgess will go up against close friend Brett Backwell in the final game for both coaches with their respective clubs. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Having worked under Brett Backwell as an assistant at Brighton, Burgess knew his side would need to be at its best on Saturday.

“If I know him well enough, ‘Mouse’ will have something up his sleeve, he’s always scheming.

“Both clubs are fighting for their lives – I’m expecting them to be at their best and we need to be as well.

“We’ve trained well and our footy through the past month hasn’t been bad we’ve just been overrun at times which is natural for a young group.

“A lot of people have invested themselves into this club and we’ve been supported really well by the footy director, the president, the fans and everyone else involved so now we need to reward them.”