Family commitments and the long drive from Coleambally were the major reasons behind Mitch Carroll stepping down as coach of Lockhart.
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He announced to the playing group over the weekend that he won't be coaching the Demons again next season.
Carroll was appointed coach at the start of the 2020 before the season was lost to COVID-19.
"When I first took the job I had in the back of my mind that I only wanted to do it for two years and was never going to be a long term option," Carroll said.
"Obviously with COVID-19 last year it was a pain that didn't do anyone any good.
"But I've got a young family with three kids aged six and under who are starting to get into their own sports and hobbies on weekends.
"I live in Coleambally so it's nearly a three hour round trip to training and home matches which is time consuming.
"The travel didn't worry me a great deal but my employment has changed as well since I took on the coaching gig.
"So there's a few factors that have led to my decision."
The Demons sit sixth with a 9-6 record and look assured of a finals berth after easily accounting for a severely depleted Henty last weekend.
It will be the first time the Demons have played finals since 2009 when coached by Nathan McPherson.
Carroll said he felt proud to have been able to lead the Demons from their finals wilderness.
"Getting that win over Henty last weekend makes it all worthwhile and that was the plan to get the club back to playing again," he said.
"That was my main goal when I took that job on and it is satisfying to achieve that considering how long since that last finals appearance.
"I would have been disappointed to walk away without achieving that.
"We need to keep working hard over the next fortnight to make sure that we don't slip up but we are certainly in the box seat to play finals."
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Lockhart will most likely meet Rand-Walbundrie-Walla in the opening week of the finals and Carroll said the Demons are far from content to be just making up the numbers.
"I feel we had a bit of a mid-season lapse but are getting back to playing the football that we are capable of the past couple of weeks," he said.
"We are starting to play to our potential at the right time of the season.
"We are all hungry to get to the finals and see what happens."
Carroll had previous coaching stints with Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong in the Riverina league and Coleambally in the Farrer league before joining Lockhart.
He rated the standard of the competition.
"I hadn't had much to do with the Hume league previously other than watch the odd game," he said.
"But I love the fact that it is a really family orientated league and all the matches are played on the same day."
Lockhart has already started the hunt for Carroll's replacement.
Carroll said he was highly unlikely to coach again at senior level.
"I really love the challenge of coaching,'' he said.
"If I was a single bloke I would keep doing it for as long as I could.
"But it's time to put the family first."
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