The Rock-Yerong Creek to enter 2020 under new coach as Tom Yates stands down

Yates told his players after Saturday's win against Barellan, his 150^th game with TRYC, that this third season will be his last as coach.

"It was a tough decision to make," Yates said. "I wanted to get more results but there's a few other things outside of footy (to consider) and I also think after three years, it's time for a bit of a freshen-up.

"It's disappointing how some of our results have been but at the same time, I hope a lot of the boys we've recruited stick around, and they can add a couple of top-liners, and you never know what they might achieve next year."

Yates took the Pies to a finals appearance in his first season in 2017. They missed the five last season and lamented the injuries that cruelled their season.

This year, they'll need to be lucky to make finals, after winning four from 16 so far. Yates still curses the seven games lost by 21 points or less, an outcome which sees them with the fifth best percentage but sitting two wins outside the five.

However, he's certainly led by example, winning TRYC's best-and-fairest in his first two seasons as coach, making a hat-trick of club honours, having also taken the award in 2016.

Yates says he's loved having the opportunity to lead the Pies.

"You probably put that bit of extra pressure on yourself as a playing coach to perform on the field," he said.

"But I've enjoyed it. I haven't found it too hard to play and coach really. To be honest I love the recruiting side as well, ringing new players and meeting new people. I've loved seeing a few blokes develop too. It's a good gig."

Yates said beyond making this decision, he hasn't thought about what next year will bring, and is looking forward to some time away from football, once they see where this season finishes up.

"I'm solely focussed on this week," he said, referring to Saturday's game against another team hoping to spring a finals miracle, Charles Sturt University.

"Then there's East Wagga-Kooringal before we have our last-round bye so we'll just focus on the next few weeks and see what the group can do."

TRYC president Peter Gerhardy said they've begun the search for a new coach.

He paid tribute to Yates, saying the job would've been his again if he'd wanted it.

"His contribution to the club has been fantastic, not only in the coaching role but as a mentor to younger players and his on-field ability, his playing ability," Gerhardy said.

"If there's one guy that's given 100 per cent it's been Tommy.

"We had numerous conversations with Tom and we left that decision up to him. We were more than happy to keep him on as coach but he elected to go the way he has.

"So that's all fine. Now we know that, the players and the committee know that, we'll due a bit of due diligence and go from there."

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