Weekly Times | FOOTBALL legend Peter Knights is preparing for his final hoorah as Vic Country coach.
The Hawthorn great has indicated to AFL Victoria officials that this year’s Vic Country versus Vic Metro match in July will be his last.
Knights said he believed it was time for a “younger head” to take the reins.
“It gives AFL Vic time to get a transition plan in to place if I say I’m really keen to go one more year, but this will be my final year — it’s time for a younger head or new head,” he said.
“I’ve done my time.”
Knights said preparations for the July clash had already begun with support staff and a training program confirmed.
Leagues have started releasing their squads for the Community Championships on May 21-22, which this year includes metropolitan and country competitions.
Knights said he would soon start noting down players for the Vic Country side and those interleague squads would be the major recruiting ground.
And with no Vic Country No.2 side to play this year Knights said he would be “drilling down a little bit deeper” into the country talent pool.
“We hopefully won’t let any stone go unturned in identifying a prospect who will at least make the training squad,” he said.
Knights was appointed the Victorian Country Football League senior representative coach in 2009, having been a VCFL under-18 coach for the eight years prior.
He described his tenure as a “great journey with Vic Country that I’ve been on”.
“If I look back at my time, it’s just providing all players whether they’re at under-19 level or senior level ... with a professional program as far as playing with the elite of Victorian country players and then they play against the elite,” he said.
“I’ve always said it’s just a fantastic opportunity to train and play with the best and against the best.”
AFL Victoria community football operations manager Gerard Ryan paid tribute to Knights’s contribution.
“He’s been a tremendous servant to us,” he said.
“We can’t be any more grateful for the work he has done with the program and how he has given it a lot of legitimacy for the guys who have played.”
The Vic Country versus Vic Metro matches will be held at Melbourne’s Ikon Park on Sunday July 10.