Colac coaching duo Jason Armistead and Seb Ross will step down after two years in charge when the GFNL club’s season concludes.
A former star player with the Tigers, Armistead joined with two-time St Kilda best-and-fairest Ross at the end of 2024 to lead the Tigers following the departure of Rowan McSparron.
“Seb notified the club probably three or four weeks ago that he wasn’t going on,” Armistead said.
“I’ve been in discussions with the club over that period, and probably just couldn’t get to the point where I felt like I had the energy and the commitment again to do it.
“So, yeah, it was a pretty tough decision from my point of view, obviously with my close ties to the club.
“I’m one of those guys that if I can’t give 100 per cent of myself to that role, I’d prefer to say no rather than yes.
“I just couldn’t come to that 100 per cent commitment, and that was the tough decision I made.
The pair’s first year in charge fell just short of a grand final appearance, beaten by eventual premier St Mary’s in the preliminary final by 11 points.
However, Colac, which has been without Ross on the field for much of the season due to injury, looks set to be watching on this September.
The Tigers need to beat finals-bound St Joseph’s and St Mary’s in the final two rounds, and have fifth-placed Bell Park lose to St Albans this week to snatch fifth spot.
“It’s pretty slim probably now, but while there’s still a chance, we’ll be giving 100% towards it,” Armistead said.
“Hopefully we can just finish the season on a high wherever we finish.
“It’s been one of those years. It’s been a bit of a challenge at certain times. But the players have continued to work really hard all year, which is a credit to them.”
Armistead, who has also coached the Geelong Falcons Girls and Anglesea, while holding assistant roles at St Mary’s and Modewarre, says he is unlikely to take a senior role again.
“I’ll stay involved in footy somehow; whether that’s as an assistant or just helping out in some manner,” he said
“Where maybe you’ve got a little bit more flexibility with your time and commitment as well.
“It’d be nice just to put some time into other areas of my life that I’ve probably sacrificed over the last few years.”
The departure of Armistead and Ross leaves Colac as the only GFNL club searching for a coach for 2027, with North Shore (Wade Chapman) and Geelong West (Garry Hocking) filling vacant roles in recent weeks.
Seb Ross has been contacted for comment.
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