Mitch Wight and Matt Iannelli will be stepping down as coaches of Geelong West’s GDFNL side at the end of the 2023 season, but staying at West Oval in reduced roles.
“Matt and Mitch are stepping away due to both having increasing work and family commitments,” Giants GDFNL President Chris Wilkie said.
“Mitch became a father for the first time in October last year and Matt will become a father in the next few weeks, which will take up a lot of their time, so they just don’t have enough hours in the day for what is needed to be full-time coaches,” he said.
Assistant Scott Frangos will step up to be senior coach for next season, with his assistant coaching panel to be announced over the coming weeks.
“Matt has been fantastic since coming over last year and the way he has taken on the co-coach role this season,” Wilkie said.
“He has been playing while sharing the coaching role, and will continue playing next year and helping out in a coaching role, but not full time,” he said.
“Mitch will also stay with the team, becoming the game-day bench coach for Scott for season 2024.”
Wight has been part of the Giants’ coaching structure since joining ahead of the 2017 season, spending three years as an assistant to Andrew Clark, before taking over in the top job and leading the Giants to the finals in 2022.
“The respect he has from the players he has coached and from other coaches is a true credit to him,” Wilkie said.
“I feel that the club owes him a lot, due to the way he helped change the team from being the ‘easy beats’ to where we are now.
“Unfortunately, due to injury and players travelling and some bad luck, we are not sitting where we would like, but this is not a reflection on the effort of the players or coaches.
“It happens some years and unfortunately it’s our turn this year.”
Geelong West has endured a tough campaign so far this season, sitting four games outside the top five and take on third-placed Inverleigh at Morton Power Oval in Round 13.
