Steve Kretiuk is looking to find a coaching role with an AFL club for next season. 32641_13 Picture: SARAH MATRAY
By LIAM TWOMEY
STEVE Kretiuk will not coach the Western Jets in 2013.
The former Western Bulldogs AFL footballer made the official announcement at the club’s best and fairest night last week.
After five seasons in the top job, Kretiuk said he thought it was time for a new challenge.
“I think as a coach you just need to keep challenging yourself and putting yourself in environments that will help to improve and expand your knowledge base,” he said.
“In some circumstances you get to a point where you have gained and absorbed as much knowledge as you can and in my case I am probably at that point now and I just think it is time to move on and try something different.”
Kretiuk will leave some big shoes to fill for his replacement with the professionalism and results of the Jets improving remarkably during his time at the club.
In the last three years the Jets have been responsible for the development of some of the AFL’s most exciting young talent including Greater Western Sydney duo Will Hoskin-Elliott and Adam Kennedy, Essendon’s Elliott Kavanagh and the Gold Coast’s Trent McKenzie.
“We have continually tried to raise the bar in regards to the professionalism and the expectation of the whole organisation,” Kretiuk said.
“I am a pretty competitive person and I’m not a big fan of the word complacency within the organisation and I think it is really important that we keep pushing the professionalism of the club.
“I think what we have done over the last couple of years is get the club to a point where AFL recruiters see it as a well-run club.
“They have the confidence now that the players they will choose are going to be solid contributors both on and off the field.”
Throughout the 2012 season Kretiuk has spent some time with the coaching staff at the Western Bulldogs while being given a first-hand look at the coaching structures of the AFL club.
He said in the short term his ideal role would be in the development of young players.
“I get more of a kick out of seeing people improve and seeing them develop as players than probably winning games,” he said.
“That is an area that I want to get into. I might get the itch back to coach and move up into an assistant role in the years ahead. At this stage I’ve been aiming towards getting a development job so that is probably what I’ll be pushing for.”
It is not yet known who Kretiuk’s replacement at the Jets will be.
