Coach leans to staying
GEELONG Amateur cocoach Rowan McSparron says he “probably will stay” at the club next year, but would wait until after Saturday’s grand final to plan his future.
The dual BFL premiership coach has received interest from GFL clubs and McSparron said last month a number of those positions had appeal.
But the man who has partnered Jarrod Young in the cocoaching role this year said he would likely remain at Ammos for one more year.
McSparron’s coaching record at Ammos is elite, having recorded 54 wins and seven losses in 61 games in charge.
Should Ammos win Saturday’s premiership, they will join Ocean Grove as the only BFL club to win four straight grand finals, opening the door for a record-breaking attempt next season.
“I’ve had some discussions with the club, that’s 100 per cent right, but I haven’t made a decision and the club hasn’t committed 100 per cent they want me to go on,” he said.
“But all things being equal, I probably will stay next year. We’ve just got to work through a few things.
“Benny Hunter, the football director here, and myself, we’re both under the understanding it’s a three to fouryear job, so whether it’s one more year or we move on, we’ll sit down and have a discussion about that.”
McSparron played in the 2014 Ammos premiership and was playing co-coach for the past two. He retired as a player at the end of last season.
Ammos are set to make one change to the side that defeated the Tigers a fortnight ago, with star recruit Matt Walsh to return from a hamstring injury. Walsh last played in Round 14, but has booted 46 goals in 13 games.
“He’s going to take a fair match-up, especially with ‘Zappa’ (Damien Zaparenkov) and (Mitch) Day down there, that gives us three really good avenues to goal, so we’re looking forward to having him back,” he said.
McSparron said the Ammos-Tigers rivalry made Saturday’s game a mouthwatering one. “It’s definitely a grand final we want to be a part of,” he said. “There’s obviously a little bit of interest from outside, so we just want to make sure we’re representing our club really well and putting in a good performance.”