Closing in on becoming the first GFNL senior coach to register 200 wins, Glenn Keast has confirmed that 2024 will be his final season as coach of St Mary’s.
After good mate Travis Robertson stepped down following last year’s preliminary final loss, Keast chose to remain as co-coach with the incoming Luke Rayner.
However, Keast
“The plan is (that) I’ll step out at the end of the year, and we’ll get someone to support ‘Raynesy’ in the next couple of years of his tenure,” Keast told krockfootball.live.
“I saw this year, through our pre-season, the benefit of someone fresh coming in.
“And, I think, to keep our group up and going, it’s probably time we transition me out.”
Drafted by Geelong from Mt Gambier in 1986, Keast played under-19s and reserves with the Cats.
He started his GFNL journey at St Albans, winning the first of his two Mathieson Medals in 1991.
Keast then moved to Leopold before joining North Shore, which was about to commence its run of six consecutive premierships between 1995 and 2000.
He won his second Mathieson Medal in 1995 and was best-on-ground in the 1997 grand final before replacing Ron Watt as coach of the Seagulls ahead of the 1998 season.
Keast had eight seasons in charge at Windsor Park (1998-2004, 2007), winning 113 of 157 games in charge.
Robertson and Keast were appointed in late 2017 and won consecutive premierships with St Mary’s (2019 and 2022) either side of the Covid-impacted years.
“It’s certainly become more professional, as you’d expect, over the journey,” Keast, who survived a cardiac arrest during a St Mary’s training session in May 2020, said.
“When I started coaching, I was playing, so I was trying to get a kick as well.
“The thing for me that hasn’t changed (is) it doesn’t leave you.”
Keast became the first coach in GFNL history to win 100 games at two clubs in Round 7, and three more Saints victories this year will give him 200 wins.
His overall record is 197 wins, 61 losses and two draws, including a league-record five premierships.
Keast is the second GFNL senior coach to announce his end-of-season departure, with Colac counterpart Rowan McSparron also pulling the pin.
Click below to hear the full interview with Glenn Keast
X: @krockfootball
