EFNL 2024: North Ringwood coach Robbie Nahas to step down at season’s end
North Ringwood coach Robbie Nahas will step down from his post of five years at season’s end. The ex-AFL speedster explains why ...
Eastern
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Robbie Nahas wants to keep playing for as long as possible – but the 36-year-old declares that must come at the cost of his North Ringwood coaching job.
The ex-AFL Tiger and Roo has called time on his playing-coach stint at the Eastern league Division 1 club, confirming he will step down at season’s end after landing the gig in 2019.
“I think our club is ready for a non-playing coach, and I’m still in a state of mind where I still want to play as much footy as I can until I can’t really walk,” Nahas said.
“You’re a long time retired … I can coach forever, but I just can’t play forever, and that was my main reasoning behind it.
“There’s also an element that five years with such a young group, it’s probably time they got another voice to take them the next step.”
The young Saints sit eighth of the division’s 10 teams, having won just three matches from 13 starts amid an injury-riddled campaign this season. Five home-and-away games remain.
The club was relegated from the league’s Premier Division at the end of 2022 – before Nahas last season led it to its first finals appearance since 2014.
The 2017 Port Melbourne premiership star said his playing career would “definitely” continue elsewhere next season.
“Not for any other reason but having me around playing with another coach, I just don’t know how well that would work,” Nahas said.
“I’m a pretty opinionated person so it’s only fair for the footy club that somebody else comes in with fresh ideas and a fresh voice.”
Nahas said he was most proud of the relationships forged across his five years at Quambee Reserve.
“I love this football club – I never had the opportunity to play local footy (before) ... my junior club didn’t really have that sort of affiliation and I went straight to rep footy anyway,” he said.
“North Ringwood will forever be my home – I love the place, I love the people, I’ve had a great time and I’ve got friends forever.”
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