Lance Whitnall has called time on his tenure at EDFL club Craigieburn
Craigieburn premiership coach Lance Whitnall will not return to the club in 2022, stepping down due to family commitments after a difficult 2021.
Essendon
Don't miss out on the headlines from Essendon. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Craigieburn premiership coach Lance Whitnall has stood down after a difficult season on and off the field.
Whitnall guided the Eagles to the EDFL Division 1 premiership in 2019 but the club failed to secure a win this season in Premier Division.
The Carlton great cited family commitments as the reason behind his decision.
Whitnall said it “hurt” to leave after a tough campaign but he had to put family first.
“Definitely a sad moment and a tough decision but one I had to make for family reasons,” he said.
“It would have been unfair of me to make the club hang on and wait while I fulfilled these commitments.
“I really enjoyed my time at Craigieburn, it’s a great club and there’s a great bunch of guys there.
“It hurts to leave on a bad note but I’m sure that list has the nucleus of a great side moving forward, they’re in a great position even though they’re going back to Div 1.”
Whitnall took the reins at Aitken Reserve in 2019 after helping build the club’s list as football manager prior to taking the top job.
He was confident Craigieburn had the young talent capable of lifting the club back to Premier Division.
“No doubt Brock (Chircop) is one, he missed the majority of this year with a knee injury,” Whitnall said.
“He’s an exciting talent, a homegrown kid, I think he’s 20-21 and is definitely going to be a star.
“Anthony Righele is another one that missed the majority of this season with injury and is another homegrown kid.
“No doubt in my mind, he’s going to be a star of the entire EDFL in a couple of years time when he matures and gets more games into him.
“Another young kid, he played one game in 2019 as a development game but played every game this season is Brodie Griffiths.
“I could keep going because there’s a heap of them under 26, even the captain Jamie Gorgievski is still young as well, so there’s a bright future there.”
Craigieburn president John Perrone labelled Whitnall a club great for helping deliver the Eagles’ third senior premiership.
In a touching tribute on the club’s Facebook page, Perrone thanked Whitnall’s family for allowing the club to dominate his time and effort.
“We wish Lance the utmost success in the future, to him and his family, whom we have come to know as our family – Dane, Rory and lovely wife Rhiannon,” he said.
“We wish you nothing but the best in whichever road you take.
“To your family, we thank you for your commitment to Lance and all the hard work he did for our club along with all the sacrifices you all made to allow Lance to share his wonderful knowledge of this great game.”
The Eagles will now begin the search for a new coach, looking to rebuild after a winless season in the league’s top flight.
It’s the second time in four seasons the club has been relegated without a victory.
EDFL: RELEGATION ENFORCED, RETURN DATE SET
LEADER: GET YOUR EDFL FOOTY NEWS HERE
TALENT: YOUNG GUNS TEARING UP LOCAL FOOTY
However, it has shown it can rebound quickly from Division 1, making a preliminary final in 2018 after being relegated and winning the premiership the following year.
While the wins didn’t come this season, the experience gained is sure to hold the Eagles’ young list in good stead come 2022.
Perrone said the club was looking for a coach that would continue Whitnall’s good work.
“The club will be putting in processes to hopefully get the next candidate to take the club forward,” he said.
Ranked: The ex-AFL players who lit up local footy this year
From the bush to the ‘burbs, former AFL players thrilled local football crowds across all corners of the state this year. We’ve named the best – and ranked the top 15. See who heads the list.
Every signing of the EDFL off-season
The EDFL off-season has only just started but some clubs have already well and truly started making moves for 2025. Keep up to date with every signing in our signing tracker.