Redan coach Jarrett Giampaolo to step away from role at end of Ballarat Football Netball League season

The Lions stalwart will stay with the club but ends his coaching tenure to spend more time with his family.

"This is my fourth year in the role, and I've got three kids under five now, so it's a bit hectic, and really my kids haven't known me not as a coach," Giampaolo told The Courier.

"You can do very little and not do very well in the role, or you can sink yourself into it and try to do the best you can, which is how I went about it.

"I have put a fair bit of time in, and something's got to give. I'm at the point now where I want to spend a lot more time with my young family.

"It's got nothing to do with the club...I have no intentions of leaving the club. I love the place and might just have to run around in the reserves or something."

Giampaolo follows Ballarat coach Joe Carmody in announcing his departure at the end of the season.

A three-time Redan premiership player, Giampaolo stepped up to the helm at the end of 2018 in what was his first senior coaching role.

He led the Lions to a semi-final in 2019 before an abandoned 2020 and a shortened 2021 season.

"In my first year, 2019, it almost seemed like coaching wasn't that hard. We won our first six games and then made finals after not qualifying the year before," Giampaolo said.

"2020 was shaping up to be really exciting than COVID hit.

"Those COVID years, even though we didn't play a lot of footy, were probably harder. The amount of work you had to put in to try and keep guys motivated thinking that you were still going to be playing footy was pretty draining."

The Lions currently sit eighth, four points off a finals spot, with Giampaolo confident about the club's future.

"I'm loving coaching this year and I'm really enjoying our young list and being able to give a lot of young guys a chance and watch them develop as players and individuals," he said.

"I'm a bit flat that I won't be in the role next year to continue that work, but I'm sure whoever steps into the role will have a really strong list and a good group of young players which is promising for the club."

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