By LIAM TWOMEY
SATURDAY’S one-point grand final defeat marked the end of an era for Spotswood with coach Chris O’Keefe standing down. O’Keefe told the board during the year he would not be continuing in his role past this season.
The club is still hopeful he will remain as a player.
“Chris informed us many months ago that this would be his last season as coach,” Spotswood vice president Rod Gardiner said.
“He is still undecided in what he is going to do about playing.
“Chris has been a fabulous asset to this club. He is always going to be welcomed here. He has been a terrific player, he has been a terrific coach and he is just a good bloke to have around the club. The guys feel for him as well. They wanted to send him out on a winning note. He will be sadly missed.”
In his time in the WRFL, O’Keefe has established himself as one of the competition’s premier players, winning last year’s Barry Priest Medal as well as this year’s Coaches MVP award.
The search for a replacement coach is well underway with Gardiner saying he hopes to have the appointment finalised by early November.
“We had already started that. We haven’t formally gone out as far as a full blown advertisement, but we assembled a small panel like we do for all of our junior and senior coaches,” he said.
“The aim would be to have it done and dusted before pre-season, so we would want to have it done by Melbourne Cup Day. I think we are completely open with it. Whether we go for a playing coach again, whether we go for a standalone coach, whether it is twin coaches, I think we are leaving our options open.”
After successive one-point losses on grand-final day, Gardiner paid credit to the entire playing group for the way they fought out the game.
Murray Boyd was outstanding for the Woodsmen with three goals while Tom Langlands and Jason Cloke also fought hard.
“To have gone down in two consecutive grand finals by a point where we had, in both games last year against Altona and this year against Deer Park, significantly more scoring opportunities, we are very disappointed,” Gardiner said.
“It is a disappointment for everyone who puts so much effort into the club.
“You are proud of the boys that they fought to the bitter end.”
