Premiers sack coach

Eaton Boomers coach Alan McDonald has been sacked just one month after guiding the club to its historic first South West Football League premiership.

McDonald was summoned to the club on Saturday where he was informed by club president Garry Mumme and acting general manager Craig Gray he would be replaced as coach of the league team next season.

The move came as a surprise to McDonald, who said he felt he had been blindsided by the club.

“I met with Garry and Craig for half an hour on the weekend and they told me they could not go on with me,” he said.

“I was shocked. I hadn’t heard from them in six weeks and it was as surprising to me as it is to everyone else.

“I didn’t have any opportunity to speak or plead my case, it was clear they had already made up their minds.”

Gray said the decision to sever ties with McDonald was a tough one but the board believed it was the best decision for the future of the club.

“Firstly, it’s important that we do not take anything away from Alan and what he has helped the football club achieve,” he said.

“However, as a club we need to make decisions that will continue the club in the right direction.

“Alan had asked the club to think about him coming to training one week and then missing the next week and we said we would not consider that as an option.

“We also want to promote our junior list and believe a local coach can guarantee the commitment we need to continue the development of our junior program.”

McDonald strongly denied asking for permission to coach the Boomers part-time and said he had planned on remaining as committed to the club as he was during the successful 2013 campaign.

“For some reason the board got it into their heads that I could only coach every second week and that I can’t go to preseason training,” he said.

“All of that is completely false. I’m going on my honeymoon for two weeks in February but that is it.”

McDonald said he felt the board could have been more professional in the way he was informed of its decision but he would take fond memories from his time with the Boomers.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity and happy to have contributed to getting five teams into grand finals and winning the first league flag for the club,” he said.

Gray said the Boomers did not have a replacement league coach in mind and would advertise the position in the coming weeks.