Lamprill aims to stay on as coach

CAIRNS Saint Tim Lamprill’s playing days are over but what he will do going forward as a coach is well and truly up in the air.

The lion-hearted key forward played his final game in Saints’ grand final loss on Saturday, calling time on a career that saw him become one of the most damaging forwards in Tasmania and AFL Cairns.

The 35-year-old first came to the Far North as a player, before returning to coach in the Southern Football League of Tasmania and eventually coming back to Saints in 2017, and has spent the last two years as the club’s playing coach.

While adamant his playing days are done, Lamprill is determined to continue coaching, preferably at Saints, but that decision is yet to be made.

Saints prefer to have a playing coach at the helm of their club, which has brought them an abundance of premiership successes since their inception into the competition in 1993.

Saints’ committee have known of Lamprill’s desires to retain the job as a non-playing coach into 2019 for some time but are yet to make a decision, with the club recently advertising for a playing coach online.

After taking Saints from fifth in 2017 to a grand final on Saturday afternoon, Lamprill, who is well respected as a coach, is desperate to continue in the role at Griffiths Park.

“I want to coach and that is now in the committee’s hands to see if they want a playing coach to lead the football club,” Lamprill said.

“Or, if they want a nonplaying coach.

“That will be decided in the next few weeks I suppose, I am not sure where it stands.

“I am not sure – coachingwise it is all up in the air but playing wise, I am done.

“I have had a good run, 18 or 19 years of senior footy has taken its toll on my body.”

Despite his veteran status, Lamprill was still one of Saints’ best contributors in their grand final loss to Port Douglas.

If they are to part ways with Lamprill, Saints will join Centrals Trinity Beach and North Cairns in searching for a new coach for 2019.

Saints will also be on the hunt for a stylish halfback and key-forward over the summer with Cameron Johns and Tom Eltringham expected to depart the club.

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