Eastern league Premier division coach resigns

South Croydon is on the hunt for a new coach after a change in personal circumstances prompted Luke McCormick to step aside.

Luke McCormick working the huddle at South Croydon.

South Croydon must find a new senior coach following the resignation of Luke McCormick.

McCormick informed the club yesterday of his decision to step away, citing a change in personal circumstances which meant he could no longer devote the required time to coaching at Premier Division level.

McCormick took over as Bulldogs coach in 2018 following the departure of 2017 premiership coach Leigh Adams.

The former East Ringwood star guided the club to a grand final in his first year at the helm, before a semi-final appearance in 2019.

“We are very grateful for everything Luke has done for the club since joining us in 2018,” the club said in a statement.

With the season due to kick off in early April, the club said it would start the process of finding a replacement immediately.

“While the timing of this change isn’t ideal, we are confident that our club will attract many excellent and suitable candidates for this role, and the club will commence the selection process immediately,” the statement said.

Luke McCormick took over ahead of the 2018 season.

“In the very short-term our experienced assistant coaches will oversee training commencing this evening.”

Club president Steve Duke said conversations regarding McCormick’s future had been ongoing for “a number of weeks”.

“We’ve been in conversation with Luke and we said you need to make the right decision for you, and your family,” he said.

Duke paid tribute to McCormick’s contribution at Cheong Park.

“He’s done a great job in taking the club forward and leading the whole club, but we respect his circumstances and the fact that he can’t commit as he would want,” he said.

Duke said he was confident the club could find a well-regarded replacement for McCormick.

“With the fallout of the AFL programs and VFL programs, I think there are a lot of good candidates out there so hopefully one of them will fall through the net and land at the club,” he said.