Jason Field steps down as coach of A-grade premiers Emu Park
Jason Field took the Emu Park A-grade men to a maiden premiership in the Rockhampton Rugby League. He explains why he won’t be at the helm next season and reveals who will take the reins.
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He coached them to their maiden Rockhampton Rugby League A-grade title but Jason Field won’t be at the helm when the Emu Park men launch their title defence next season.
The footy stalwart has decided to step down from the role with the men, who etched their name in the club’s history books with their 28-12 grand final win over Yeppoon in August.
The team’s victorious captain Tiko Hooper has assumed the position alongside his playing duties in a development Field sees as a positive.
“I just think we’ve got to look to the future,” he said.
“Tiko’s more connected to the youth and the men who are playing footy.
“I think it was timely for me to step aside and let him take the reins.”
Not that it means Field will be sitting idly by.
He is the club president and plans to focus his energy on developing its up-and-coming female talent.
“Because there’s a lot of change in women’s footy with the draw of the BMD Premiership being aligned to the NRLW, a number of players will get pulled out of club sides so there’s plenty of development work to be done with the younger girls coming through,” he said.
“I’m looking at supporting them through that next phase of football.”
The Emu Park women, too, will be chasing back-to-back titles in 2025 after they claimed the senior women’s premiership with a commanding 30-point grand final win over Fitzroy/Gracemere.
Field feels incredibly satisfied to see such great results from the club he was instrumental in forming in 2015.
He said it was also incredibly special to have played a part in the men’s first-ever title.
“Obviously, it was something we’d been striving for since the inception of the club,” he said.
“It was massive for me to be the first coach to do it so it’s something I’ll remember and cherish for a very long time.”
Field expects the majority of the premiership-winning line-up will be back, though there will be at least one glaring admission with his son Travis likely sidelined for 12 months after undergoing a knee reconstruction this week.
“We’ll be strong again but I know there will be teams gunning for us,” he said.
“They’re building their ranks so I think it’s going to be another strong competition.
“I’ve had an absolutely awesome year so I’m just looking forward to what 2025 brings.”
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