Exit Shannon Rusca at NTFL club powerhouse Southern Districts when all intentions are good

SOUTHERN Districts are looking for a new coach after the NTFL club’s long serving tutor Shannon Rusca decided yesterday his nine seasons at Fred’s Pass were over

Those were the days: Shannon Rusca with youngsters Liam McGregor and Zane Carter in the middle of the 2014-15 season. Picture: Elise Derwin

SOUTHERN Districts are looking for a new coach after the NTFL club’s long serving tutor Shannon Rusca decided yesterday his nine seasons at Fred’s Pass were over.

Districts’ 2017-18 premiership coach and dual grand final winning player told the NT News last night a new voice and new ideas were needed at Crocodile land.

He has backed assistant coach and Nichols medallist Matt Cannard to take over the coaching reins of the NTFL’s southernmost club.

Rusca stepped into the coaching role in Round 6 of the 2008-09 season when incumbent Michael McLean was appointed the inaugural coach of Territory Thunder.

A dozen years and countless memories later, he exits stage right as Districts’ longest serving coach.

“After talking to the club I felt it was my time and you don’t have to be Einstein to work it out.

“Sometimes you need a change and I think the playing group needs a new voice. I could have gone on, in fact I’ve still got the drive to continue, but I think a new voice and new ideas are needed.’’

Rusca sees Cannard as the ideal replacement after working side-by-side with him since the hard nut utility retired as a player in 2016.

“Matty knows the ins and outs of Darwin footy and he’s been a great servant of the football club, for me he is the man to step in,’’ Rusca said.

“I’ll see who the club appoints and what direction they are taking, but I’d love to be around the players in some sort of coaching role, we’ll have to see what happens.’’

Rusca is content in the fact he leaves Districts in a good place on and off the ground.

“Footy has its challenges and has always worked in a circle when it can get away from you and swing back in your favour just as quickly,’’ he said.

“We were fortunate enough to play finals footy in every season I was there, so it was a pretty good journey even though we lost a lot of finals matches early in what were testing times.

“But the young group we built from within was always going to keep us in the top three in the competition and the 2017-18 campaign was a brilliant season for the footy club.

“It was a very special time where we had built a strong local side with the essence of the core group underlined by the amount of young talent in our junior grades.’’