EFNL Premier Division 2024: Matt Adolph appointed Vermont coach for next two seasons

The Eastern league’s most successful club has wasted no time appointing its next senior coach following the exit of Adam Parker, with a former state league assistant taking the reins.

EFNL 2024: Incoming Vermont coach Matt Adolph. Picture: Vermont FC

Matt Adolph wasn’t just going to land at any local football club.

The 41-year-old has been appointed coach of Eastern league powerhouse Vermont, following the resignation of Adam Parker after four years at the helm.

Serving as senior assistant across the past two seasons, Adolph spent seven years in the VFL system from 2012 to 2019.

After a stop at Williamstown as a line coach, he headed up Box Hill’s development squad, winning a premiership in 2016 before promotion to assistant in the senior ranks.

A Coates Talent League stint as right-hand man in the Oakleigh Chargers’ programs followed, before linking up with Parker at Terrara Rd.

“I was always in contact with ‘Parks’ and got involved at Vermont (last year) … I was really mindful of what club to coach local footy at,” Adolph said, who has been appointed for the next two seasons.

“Vermont’s got great support, they invest in their footy department and they’ve got the resources. I was really happy to get the job when (president) Danny Ross appointed me.”

EFNL 2024: Incoming Vermont coach Matt Adolph (right) with club president Danny Ross. Picture: Vermont FC

Parker, who played in flags at Vermont in 2018 and ‘19, coached the Eagles to the 2023 grand final, falling to Rowville by 10 points.

His decision to step down was revealed in the aftermath of the weekend’s shock first-week exit from the premiership race at the hands of South Croydon.

“Adam informed the senior playing group after (September 1’s) elimination final loss, saying that he had made his decision around two months ago,” the club said, adding Parker cited family reasons for his departure.

EFNL 2024: Parker announced his time was up following the weekend’s elimination final loss. Picture: Leesa Clarkson

But his successor is no stranger to the high stakes of the Eastern league’s top division.

Adolph began his coaching career at Scoresby and was involved when it contested the 2010 and ’11 grand finals – overseeing Parker as a player at the club.

The incoming mentor admitted Vermont’s rich history of success had always intrigued him.

“You see the success the club has had in the past and I wanted to get inside the four walls to find out why the club has been so successful – I’ve loved the last two years as senior assistant coach,” Adolph said.

“You can tell when you walk through the doors that the people associated with the club are why they’re so successful – the volunteers, president, guys that have been around for a long period of time.

“‘Parks’, with what he’s been able to do in the last four or five years as a coach, especially through the Covid period, has set it up well.

“You watch them from afar and you’re probably a little bit jealous in terms of their success, but once you get inside you realise pretty quickly that it’s built around good people and community.”

Vermont’s abrupt exit from the finals came off the back of a fourth-placed finish to the home-and-away season with a 12-6 record.

Adolph declared growth must come from the Eagles’ emerging stocks in order to go further next year.

“The improvement’s got to come from our younger guys, I think we’ve got nine or 10 under-19s that are coming up and we probably had four or five playing in our senior team this year that could actually play under-19s if they wanted,” he said.

“Our under-19s and twos are still in the finals race which is really pleasing to see.

“You always need to get those one or two (recruits) in, but with the salary cap and points system, you’ve got to develop from within.”