EFL 2019: Donvale and Dennet Merton part ways

Brendan McCormack will coach Donvale for the remainder of the Eastern Football League season after Dennet Merton handed in his resignation at the Division 3 club.

Donvale has parted ways with coach Dennet Merton.

Donvale has made a change of coach halfway through the Eastern Football League season.

First-year mentor Dennet Merton was informed last week he would not see out the season.

The Magpies had won their first four games of the season but dropped its next five matches.

Former coach Brendan McCormack took the reins for the Round 10 win over Chirnside Park and will fill the position for the rest of the year.

Brendan McCormack in a previous stint in charge at Donvale.

McCormack, who played 56 games for Fitzroy and Brisbane, was an assistant under Merton and it will be his fifth stint as coach of the Magpies.

Merton said the club accepted his resignation last Wednesday.

He said he would explore other coaching positions next year.

“Family comes first so I’ll just see what my commitments are with them,” Merton said.

“I think I’ve still got a bit to offer but we’ll see.”

Merton had served as an assistant at Doncaster and Doncaster East, where he helped both clubs to premierships, before accepting his first senior coaching role at the Magpies.

He started the year with wins over Waverley Blues, Warrandyte, Chirnside Park and Ferntree Gully.

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Donvale president John Giles said it was a decision the club did not take lightly.

He said there was a difference of opinion as to what the list was capable of.

“We had a long discussion where our future is heading and what he wants out of where our club is going and basically at that point, decided not to go any further,” Giles said.

“Probably over the last month, I think there was some disconnect between game plan and players.”

Giles said the 4-5 record when it made the decision was “below all our expectations”.

“Our expectations weren’t, after being 4-0, to being 4-5,” he said.

“He (Merton) was disappointed we couldn’t get on the same page.”

Donvale meets Ferntree Gully on Saturday.

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