Rostrevor Old Collegians premiership coach Adrian Rocco gone one month after taking the club to the grand final
A DIVISION one club has dumped a coach who led it to a premiership last year and a second straight grand final appearance a month ago.
- Tea Tree Gully defeats Rostrevor OC in grand final
- ROC cruises to its second division one premiership
- Rostrevor makes new home at Thebarton Oval for 2018
A DIVISION one club has dumped a coach who led it to a premiership last year and a second straight grand final appearance a month ago.
Rostrevor Old Collegians this week announced via the club website it would “not renew” coach Adrian Rocco’s contract for 2019.
Rocco boasted a 32-9 win/loss record in his two years in charge of the Adelaide Footy League side, including a 37-point grand final win over Payneham Norwood Union last year and a 24-point defeat to Tea Tree Gully in last month’s flag decider.
Rocco said he did not see the club’s decision coming.
“I was completely blindsided by it all,” Rocco said.
“To have the win/loss ratio we have had with two minor premierships and a flag, and then for this to happen, it was a surprise to me.”
Rocco said Tea Tree Gully was playing on emotion in the grand final, motivated by the death of one of their teammates in December last year, and was “too good on the day”.
He said there was no animosity between him and the players, and he had received an “overwhelming amount of love and emotion” from the ROC community since the news broke.
“I think 90 per cent of people in the club are also scratching their head,” he said.
“Myself along with (assistant coach) Greg Moulton, we had a really successful two years.
“You put a lot into a footy club, building culture and things like that then it just gets ripped away from you.”
Rocco said he would weigh up his coaching future over coming weeks and assess offers that came in.
In a statement on the club’s website, ROC president Bob Holland thanked Rocco and Moulton for their efforts and wished them every success.
“After an extensive review the club has decided not to renew Adrian Rocco’s contract as A Grade coach for the 2019 season,” Holland said.
“The club will now instigate a process to recruit our next senior coach.”
Holland has been contacted for comment.