Chris Banwell will stand aside as Newlyn senior coach at the end of the Central Highlands Football League season.
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He is leaving after three years with the Cats.
Banwell said a desire to spend more time with his young family was the primary reason for his departure.
He said the addition of a third child since taking on the job at Newlyn in 2020 meant he now had greater family commitments.
"As the kids get older, trying to find the balance between footy and family gets more challenging."
Banwell said he was leaving on good terms with the club, which he believed had a strong base of homegrown talent to build on.
The 35-year-old said the club had changed direction in his time there with a changing of the guard on field.
He said the focus had gone from striving for a top four finish and a tilt at premierships to development by getting senior games into as many youngsters as possible.
Newlyn finished second in 2019 and after not playing in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 lockdowns, had emerged last year without a number of experienced players.
The Cats won five of 11 games last season and and has four wins this year with four home and away rounds remaining.
Banwell has spent the best past of a decade coaching.
He began with East Point under-18s in the Ballarat league 10 years ago and up to joining Newlyn was an assistant senior coach to Jake Bridges with the Roos, playing a role in back-to-back premierships.
Banwell found himself battling against the odds in his stay at Newlyn - not being able to build any momentum in two seasons impacted by COVID-19 and then a series of injuries to front-line players this year.
While acknowledging the COVID-19 circumstances had been the same for everyone, Banwell said that episode had put extra strain on the role.
"It wasn't how I envisaged it would be, but I've still loved the experience and my time at the club."
He said he believed it was time for a new voice and some separation from the COVID-19 chapter.
Newlyn plays Creswick at Creswick on Saturday.
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