Corey McCall set to stand down as Altona coach

A WRFL powerhouse will have a new coach next season after its current mentor confirmed he will step down with the club revealing what its looking for in his replacement.

Altona’s journey under Corey McCall is coming to a close.

The 2022 premiership coach has confirmed he will step down at the end of the current season as he prepares for his next chapter in life.

McCall arrived at the Vikings before the 2020 season which was eventually cancelled due to Covid after previous stints with West Preston Lakeside and Watsonia in the Northern Football League.

Now after guiding the club through the pandemic and to its first premiership in a decade, he believes the time is right for someone else to take charge.

“Altona has been wonderful for me, they gave me an opportunity to coach my own Division 1 team,” he said.

“Now it’s time to go back to my family and spend time with them. It’s certainly been a journey over the last few years, we’ve been through a lot as a group.

“This was a partnership decision between myself and the club. I think this is the perfect opportunity for a fresh voice come in and take the club forward.

“The club is in a really good position.”

Corey McCall is standing down as Altona coach. Picture: Valeriu Campan

For all the ups and downs on the field, McCall said leading the playing group through 2020 and 2021 was among the biggest challenges he has faced during his coaching career.

Being new to the club before the 2020 was cancelled, he was still getting to know his players.

“That period was tough for everyone, we were all isolated from everyone,” he said.

“We tried to do everything we could to keep everyone engaged, whether that was having online meetings or having a beer online. When we could, we encouraged guys to get out and do some exercise together.

“The playing list looked different from when I first arrived as well, we lost guys season to season. I couldn’t be happier to achieve that premiership last year.

“We were going well in 2021 before the season was called off, to get that last year was massive for us. They don’t just give out premierships, you don’t deserve them, you have to earn them which we did.”

The Vikings remain in the premiership hunt in 2023 with one round to play in the season, currently sitting third on the ladder which would see them play in an elimination final in the first week of finals.

If they are to go back-to-back, keeping their record of not having conceded 100 points under McCall needs to be maintained.

“It’s something we’re proud of as a group especially when you see the amount of change we’ve had,” he said.

Altona president Paul Eishold said McCall had been a “breath of fresh air” for the club during his time in charge.

“He went through the coaching process, interviewed really well and got glowing endorsements from people he knew,” he recalled.

“I have nothing but good words for him, he has become a lifelong friend of mine and there’s no doubt we’ll see him at games going forward.

“The plan has been in place for a while and it helps us to go out and work on what’s next for our club.”

Altona will still play finals footy. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Eishold said it was clear what the club is looking for in its next senior coach.

They’re hopeful of attracting someone with recent VFL experience or a candidate who has worked in the development space.

“We’re still an exciting prospect going forward,” he said.

“We want someone who understands the age demographic. Our junior pathway is really important to us as a club and we want someone who understands that.”

Altona was beaten by Werribee Districts at the weekend.