Euroa Football Netball Club has dropped a bombshell on the eve of its grand final rematch against Echuca.
The Magpies announced on Thursday afternoon senior coach Scott Rowan would step down at the end of the season for personal reasons, with the club putting out expressions of interest for a new mentor to take charge for future seasons.
Rowan, who has been a part of Euroa’s senior set-up for the past five seasons, said he was leaving the position to enjoy time with his family.
“I just think the club is in a really good position at the moment as in we’ve had a couple of really successful seasons,” Rowan said.
“A set of fresh eyes and some fresh thoughts will hopefully continue the success that we’ve had over the last couple of years.
“My son’s 10 years old and he’s getting into his footy and soccer and things like that.
“I’ve been coaching for the last nine (years) at least in some respect, so it’s just a bit of time to relax and spend some time with the family.”
A selection sub-committee has been formed to undergo a recruitment process to fill the head coaching role at Euroa for seasons 2024-25.
With Rowan an integral part of the Magpies’ success in recent years, club president Scott Watson thanked the senior leader for his service.
“Our committee has been delighted in the work Scott has led over the years and into season 2023,” Watson said.
“We know he will continue to lead our club in a positive way into the immediate future.
“Scott has been an outstanding leader in some very trying times and has the club well-positioned to continue its competitive and positive involvement in senior football in the GVL in 2023 and beyond.”
Meanwhile a mammoth task lies ahead of the Magpies this weekend.
Rowan’s men prepare for battle against an unbeaten Echuca, which has stormed through the first seven rounds in a similar wrecking manner as it did all the way to the big dance in 2022.
The Murray Bombers brushed Shepparton United aside by 101 points at the weekend, piecing together their second most convincing victory of the current campaign.
Euroa, on the other hand, managed a five-goal win over Tatura and will need its full impetus to reverse the 11.12 (78) to 10.6 (66) grand final loss in September last year.
“Obviously Echuca are a great team, we’re expecting a very tough challenge this weekend and I think the boys are keen for that,” Rowan said.
“Last week Tatura was very good with the ball and our tackling pressure wasn’t up to scratch, and we know if we don’t apply pressure to Echuca early on they’ll get away from us.”
Euroa will miss key midfielder Ben Giobbi through a two-match suspension, while JD Hayes won’t play due to work commitments overseas.
While the thought of a grand final rematch can often be hyped up to the teeth, Rowan didn’t entertain the thought and instead focused on the bigger picture when referring to finishing his time at the helm.
“We’ll be aiming to get the flag that we lost last year,” he said.
“Nothing changes in that regard, a few of the players knew at the start of the year this was going to be my last.
“We’re all very keen to chase that success, so it’d be nice to get to the last Sunday with both footy teams and all of the netball teams on grand final day and see where we go from there.”