Eltham coach Rob Hyde makes call on his future with premiership in sight

Eltham coach Rob Hyde has made a call on his future with a NFL Division 2 premiership in sight with the Panthers.

Eltham coach Rob Hyde has made an early call on his future at Central Park.

The respected mentor hopes to go out in NFL Division 2 premiership glory with the Panthers, deciding the time was right to hang up the magnets at the end of the season.

Eltham will finish as minor premiers after a superb 2022 campaign, Hyde’s third year and second season at the club.

Hyde said while his wife was sceptical, he felt it was time to retire.

“My wife looks and me a goes ‘you’re kidding aren’t ya, this might be the 12th time you’ve said it’ but I think it is,” he said.

Eltham coach Rob Hyde will retire at the end of the season. Picture: Hamish Blair

“I gave Greensborough away after a premiership when I turned 60 and now I’m turning 68 but one time or another you’ve got to hang up the boots.

“This will be my last year, we’re half a chance to win it so that will be a good way to go out.”

The Panthers announced on Wednesday they were looking for applicants for the top job ahead of the 2023 season.

While some clubs might keep an announcement in-house until after finals, Hyde felt it was important for the club to make the decision public.

“We talked about it, the players all know – I’ve sat down and had a discussion with the playing group and explained my reasons why – and they’ll have a say in what sort of coach they’re looking for,” he said.

“We decided it was the right thing to do and to leave it until the end of the year, you never know, you might miss out on somebody.”

A Copeland Trophy-winner at Collingwood in 1976, Hyde became one of Victoria’s most prolific local footy coaches.

Starting at Greensborough, he coached the club two back-to-back flags in 1983-84 before moving to VAFA club North Old Boys.

Greensborough coach Robert Hyde celebrates Greensborough’s 2014 premiership with his father and son. Picture: Mark Dadswell

He helped newly former TAC Cup team Calder Cannons become the dominant force in elite under-18 football, leading the from 1996 to 2006, playing five grand finals and winning three premierships.

Hyde coach Vic Country in the Under-18 National Championships and VFL club Northern Blues before returning to Greensborough in 2013 and winning the 2014 premiership.

Hyde came out of retirement in 2020 to coach Eltham but his first season was quickly cancelled by COVID and his second cut short.

He’s led the Panthers to the top of the table in 2022 and is enjoying working with a talented, young squad.

“We’ll finish on top but I think it’s pretty open to be honest with you,” he said.

“We beat Banyule by six points the second time and Lower Plenty by one so you swing that by a goal the other way and it’s a very different situation.

“Eltham’s always been very proactive in promoting juniors and, I’ve said it before, not only do we play the 19s but some of them are very good players.

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“You can play young kids and they’ll take two or three years to develop but these kids have come a fair bit further than I thought and they’ve still got a lot to go.

“Finnbar Maley is really exciting as a 6’6 ruck rover, Declan Ayres, Dan Owen is second in the goalkicking and just turned 19, we’ll get Jason McCormick back from Knights and he’ll play finals at 18.”

Eltham finishes the home-and-away season with games against Fitzroy Stars and Epping before a bye in the first week of finals.

Expressions of interest in the Eltham senior coaching role can be sent to football manager John Rudden at [e-mail].