By DAVID NAGEL
DUAL Narre Warren premiership coach Chris Toner – one of country football’s great orators – has announced he will step down from the role after four years at the helm.
Toner explained his decision from the terraces at Holm Park Road, where his dream of leading the Magpies to three consecutive flags had come to an end at the hands of arch-rival Cranbourne just a short time earlier.
Toner said business and family commitments were the reasons behind his decision.
“The way business is, I don’t think I can give the same level of commitment to the club going forward, and I don’t want to cheat these guys because they deserve more than what I can offer next year,” he said.
“You’ve got to have the drive, and a new coach might come in with that drive and propel them forward and give them that impetus … it might be what they need.
“And with family, I’ve got four boys getting older, and they’ve got their own sporting commitments now and maybe it’s time to put more time into that. It’s time for my boys to pursue their dreams now … I’ve probably had my go now.”
Toner certainly has “had a go” – as he puts it – leaving Kalora Park with an 86 percent strike rate, with 67 wins from 78 games telling only part of the story. He was a Narre Warren stalwart, but left at the end of 2005 to pursue his coaching dream with Cora Lynn in the Ellinbank league.
Premiership success came in 2008, before two runner-up finishes became the precursors to his return to Fox Road in 2011. After a runner-up finish in his first year he lived out his childhood dream, coaching the Magpies to back-to-back flags before Saturday’s preliminary final loss to the Eagles ended a magnificent reign.
“Absolutely, there’s been a lot of records fall – we’ve been able to win (44) consecutive games, two flags, premiers and champions, all that stuff that we hadn’t had prior,” he said.
Toner said he will miss the coaching scene but leaves the club with some unbelievable memories.
“I’ll miss the boys, the four years I had at Narre has been unbelievable … it’s been a privilege to coach my own club, one that I’ve been at for over 20 years. The 2012 grand final (against Cranbourne) was the greatest game I’ve been involved in with two teams at the peak of their powers going absolutely flat out. I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I ever will again.”
Toner indicated the intense four-year rivalry with Cranbourne had probably evened itself out in the end.
“We’ve had some great games over the years and today was no exception, they hit the front with 14 seconds left on the clock with a 50-metre penalty. It may or may not have been there, but that’s their luck, we had some luck last year so what goes around comes around. I’ve got the utmost respect for Cranbourne.”
And so has the football world for you Chris Toner.
