Former Sebastopol Vikings coach Michael Busija stepped down following the club’s biggest victory in the Football Federation Victoria league with an 8-0 thumping of Altona North.
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Busija has been at the helm for four seasons and the club has advanced from the Ballarat and District Soccer Association to FFV five in 2014 following the division restructure after the addition of National Premier League Victoria – and has shown promising signs in FFV four under his tutelage.
Busija said there was nothing sinister in his decision, just opting to focus more on his role as technical director at the Ballarat Red Devils.
2016 was the only year Busija juggled the two roles and he felt he couldn’t give the appropriate time to the Vikings going forward.
“This year I’ve been doing this job and my role at the Red Devils as well as working and family commitments, it was probably a little bit much to take on to be honest,” Busija said.
“I’ve enjoyed my time with Sebas but I just think it’s time to move on and focus on the technical director side of things and let someone else take the Sebastopol job.”
Busija leaves the club confident in the knowledge he exits it in a better position than when he took the main coaching role in 2013.
He said the improvements throughout the playing group, which is now a far younger and promising group, had been significant and the education and development systems at the club had taken another step.
But also off the pitch, with the club coming a long way since its BDSA days to become a far more professional outfit.
“We’ve tried to take a level of professionalism, we’ve tried to leave a platform, something that people can launch from. For not just next year but the future.
“We thought we were in some good positions to have more success than what we did but overall we think it’s been a success, year on year we’ve improved. Hopefully someone can come in and keep the boys moving forward – I think the promotions not that far away.”
The Vikings led 3-0 at half-time against Altona North but felt there was plenty of room for improvement – and that proved exactly the case.
The visitors piled on five goals in the second half in a clinical display.
Busija was proud of his final game in charge. He felt the result made a bold statement about where the club is heading and further established its growing position in the league.
“For me, it’s really pleasing that my last game in charge is going to be our biggest win in our time in the FFV, which is only short-lived but that’ll take some beating.”
It is the biggest win the club has returned in the FFV, eclipsing the previous-best of 7-1 against Laverton Park last year.