Dobbin has decided to call time on his tenure after five years in the top job, citing a desire to explore new challenges and the importance of board renewal as his main reasons.

Football Wagga will now go on the hunt for a new president for just the third time in the past eight years as the organisation will look to fill the big shoes made vacant by Dobbin.

"It's time. I've been doing it for five seasons. There's a lot more out there that I'd like to do and achieve, and things of that nature," Dobbin said.

"I've worked with some really good people at board level over the last five years, even when I was just going as the club rep, it's been good but there comes a time when you move away and there's time for a bit of board renewal.

"Even though there's been 11 or 12 people on the board for the five seasons I've been on but you just get a sense as the head of it, it's time to move on to allow others to move in and to make sure we have board renewal. One of the worst things that can happen to any organisation, it doesn't matter if it's sporting or whatever, is that people stay because they're doing a job, and they may be enjoying it, but you do have to recognise in order for others to achieve you do have to move away.

"I want to encourage renewal at board level and if you choose to move away then people understand that it's something that needs to occur. The idea is don't stay too long and that gives other people a chance and it doesn't become a burden.

"I've been going to the meetings for years as a club rep before I came onto the board and I looked around at the general meeting the other night and a lot of the same people are still there. And all of us I think feel that a lot of the clubs need to make sure they renew at a committee level. And I know there are some people hanging on at committee level because no one is stepping up so that's where it goes."

Dobbin said it was not an easy decision to step down.

"It was (hard) because, like everything else, you're developing friendship groups because you're dealing with people every day," he said.

"So if you're not there dealing with them every week, it's not that those friendships disappear but you're not there constantly renewing them. Having said that, I've met a lot of great people that I know I can have a chat to at any time."

Dobbin said he has enjoyed his time leading Football Wagga, despite the obvious obstacle, COVID-19, that has wreaked havoc with the last two seasons.

"Personally, it's been a very rewarding process. To have something of this calibre at this stage in my life, it's been rather animating. It's been really good," he said.

"I'm not moving away from community work, I'm certainly staying with (Henwood Park). I've been tapped on the shoulder at some non-sporting groups, to take on some roles there, which is good, and it will involve working with my wife together, which is good as well."

The decision to welcome Hanwood back into Football Wagga a couple of years ago is one decision that sits well with Dobbin when looking back at his time.

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He has also been pleased to enjoy a strong female presence on the Football Wagga board, and is proud of the association's strong financial position and the installation of lights at Rawlings Park, among many improvements to facilities.

"That's the effort of all the board members, not Tony Dobbin," he stressed.

"I guess we've consulted as much as we could without losing our ability to make a decision for the good of the game, or the good of the association and clubs. I think we've had unity and unity at board level."

Dobbin said the future does not come without challenges, particuarly coming out of the COVID era.

He wants to see the board get back to full capacity, at six members, while he also holds concern for the viability of smaller clubs and referee numbers long term.

"There are still challenges out there. Post COVID for all sporting codes is a bit of an unknown," he said.

The Football Wagga AGM is on Wednesday, November 24.

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