TAC Cup: bigger workload for new Rebels coach

THE North Ballarat Rebels will have a new head coach in 2011.Glenn Wilkins has resigned from the position after the club announced the role would be restructured ahead of next season.North Ballarat Rebels regional manager Phil Partington said the head coach's workload had increased with the team's catchment now including Warrnambool, the Wimmera and South-West Victoria.The head coach will also oversee the under-16 squad that plays in the Victorian Country Championships, held in April.Partington said the head coach position was moving back towards a full-time role, although there was not yet the funding for that to occur."In the past we've had Gerard Fitzgerald as a full-time coach, and we really saw the benefit of that. Then we had Chris Maple and he took some leave to devote the required time for the role," Partington said. "Hopefully in the future, all TAC Cup coaches will be full-time coaches. We want to up the ante to give the boys more individual training and the development we think they will require."What I'm looking for is a coach who can put three to four half days per week into the role. Hopefully, in the next one to two years through funding we will have a full-time coach for the Rebels program."North Ballarat has begun the process of finding a replacement for Wilkins, although Partington did not believe an announcement would be made until the end of football finals in the region. An announcement is likely by the end of September, however, so the club can start planning for its 2011 squad in time for the start of pre-season training in early November.Wilkins said he would have weighed up a full-time position as Rebels coach if it was offered."They are wanting the position to go semi-part time. If it was a jump into full-time you would consider it," he said. "I've enjoyed my two years and have learnt a lot."I haven't made a decision about next year. I'm on holidays and that will give me a bit of time to think about my next chapter in footy."