Dom Gleeson has paid tribute to the people around him as he prepares to become the longest-serving coach in Bellarine league history.
The Torquay mentor will guide the club for the 179th time in Saturday’s clash with Portarlington, passing Matt Sproule, who led the Demons, Ocean Grove and Modewarre on a combined 178 occasions.
The former Werribee and Geelong VFL star was appointed as the replacement for Craig McCaughan ahead of the 2015 season and a decade later remains in the hot seat at McCartney Oval.
Gleeson was playing coach until the end of the 2022 season, retiring after 107 games with the club.
“It’s just a credit to my support,” Gleeson said.
“Family, first and foremost. Then the three presidents and their boards, who have all been really supportive of me.
“Then the playing group that I’ve got. And I’ve got to call out the blokes that have been there.
Ben Kennedy, a runner for the majority of the time, Aaron Nesbitt, Stuart Hill, Pete Raidme, Cam Healy, Ged Brody – those blokes who supported me throughout while I was playing.”
During Gleeson’s tenure, Torquay has won three premierships, remained unbeaten in the unfinished 2021 season, and missed the finals only once (in 2018).
Gleeson’s overall record stands at an impressive 140 wins and 38 losses.
Out-of-contract for next year, the 42-year-old says he expects discussions on his future to commence soon.
“With the support I’ve got both at work and from my family, I’d like to do it again,” Gleeson said.
“But things can happen really quickly.
“I’ll chat to the club and see where we’re at because I do want to leave it in a better place than I picked it up.
“Work is busier. Family life is busier. But, with the support I’ve got around me, I can have a night off here and there if it gets a bit big on me or I have to travel.
“Work and my assistants are just awesome. They can coach in their own right.
“They’re in their hitting zone at the moment, so I’m very lucky.”
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