Whittlesea coach Wayne van der Ross details reasons for stepping down

Whittlesea coach Wayne van der Ross has explained his reasons for stepping down from the job with five games remaining in the season.

Whittlesea coach Wayne van der Ross has stepped down. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Whittlesea coach Wayne van der Ross has stepped down with five games left in the season.

The first-year coach had intended to coach out the NFNL Division 1 season after being advised he wouldn’t be reappointed for 2024.

However, the Eagles’ 90-point loss to Hurstbridge on Saturday saw him decide to call time on his tenure.

“I had a conversation with the club two weeks ago, they informed me they were going a different direction for next year,” van der Ross said.

“They said they wouldn’t be rehiring me for next year, which threw me out a little bit, and said if I wished I could reapply.

Wayne van der Ross has stood down as Whittlesea coach. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“I said I’m not going to reapply, if you wanted me for next year you would have offered the job to me and I’ve been in this situation before and the person that reapplies never gets the job.

“I was happy to stay on for the rest of the year and coach for the boys and help them get that win they deserve.

“To be honest, the weekend was disappointing and I felt like after being told you are no longer required I wasn’t needed or wanted anymore so I decided to part ways.”

It has been a difficult season for Whittlesea and van der Ross, winless and facing relegation.

The Eagles have lost eight of 13 games by more than 10 goals.

However, the departing coach saw some positive signs in recent weeks and believed the club was well set up for the future with good young talent.

“Everyone looks at the results … but we’ve blooded 10 kids under the age of 19-20 and a lot of them are still playing senior footy and we blooded two more on the weekend,” van der Ross said.

“Our youth, our young men, are in a good place in terms of getting senior experience and developing their football.

“That’s something I’m really proud of, we promoted so many guys this year.

“Over the last four or five weeks I thought we’d turned a leaf.

“We were competitive against Montmorency, they beat us in one quarter and a half, and Heidelberg we pushed them for two quarters.

“Then against Bundoora at home, we were poor in the first quarter but were very good for three quarters and hit the front early in the fourth.

“We were still in front mid-way through but they had Sam Lloyd, Joel Fitzgerald and Luke Collins who just stood up at the right moments and they kicked three late and won by that margin.

“That was a real positive but the weekend was very disappointing.”

Whittlesea released a statement on its Facebook page on Wednesday confirming the news.

Team of the Year star Paul Higgins will take over as playing coach with support from senior assistant Cam McCormick, James Robinson, Jack Dyson and Andrew Draper.

Robinson led the Eagles last year following the sacking of Blair Harvey, securing the club’s Division 1 safety.

Van der Ross will take time with his family but believes he will look to coach again next season.

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“I’ll take a week or two and let everything settle, it will feel a bit weird with no training on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday and game on Saturday,” he said.

“I believe I will, whether it’s in the Northern again but more likely back my way in Eastern and Outer East.

“I’ve got a young family so it might be an option to take a year off and refresh the mind and do a bit of travel with the family.”

Whittlesea hosts Macleod at the Showgrounds on Saturday and finishes the season with matches against West Preston-Lakeside, Banyule, North Heidelberg and Greensborough.