By JARROD POTTER
REBUILDING Longwarry into a juggernaut will be the legacy left by departing coach Dean Rice, who announced his resignation as Crows’ head coach last week.
Citing personal reasons, which detracted from his focus at the club, Rice made it clear to the Crows he could not devote the significant time a senior coaching role demands.
Longwarry immediately offered the vacant position to 2014 assistant coach Scott Gowans – who understands better than most how difficult conflicting interests can be.
“Dean has had to step down due to personal reasons,” Gowans said.
“It was a commitment thing, he wasn’t happy he couldn’t commit 100 per cent to the club, so he’s decided to step down.
“He’ll still be around the club when he can, and still get to more games than he’ll miss and help out, but it was more that he couldn’t fully commit and made a move.”
An amazingly hectic year is on the cards for Gowans – who is also the Dandenong Stingrays’ Youth Girls Academy head coach and an assistant with Vic Metro Youth Girls’ team.
Balancing the schedule will be a challenge – with Gowans confirming he will miss one EDFL match when he travels with the Vic Metro team to Perth in May – but he relished the chance to sink his teeth into senior coaching.
“I was excited – I had to do a little bit of negotiating to take the role, obviously with my involvement with the Vic Metro Youth Girls and the Stingrays’ Academy,” Gowans said.
“I had to negotiate some nights off with Longwarry, Vic Metro and the Stingrays and had to negotiate with the wife as we all do.”
Leaving Longwarry in a far healthier state than when he started will be Rice’s great influence in the club’s history, as the Crows moved from perennial wooden spoon contenders to playing in a grand final in only two seasons with the former St Kilda/Carlton AFL player at the helm.
Gowans said that boiled down to a shift in culture at Longwarry, which he will strive to maintain as the development of professionalism and a culture change.
“(His legacy will be) quite big – clearly he’s been in charge of bringing the side from losing every senior game to winning seven in his first year and playing off in a grand final last year,” Gowans said.
“Dean’s abilities as far as developing, not just players, put the club into a winning culture… amazing and I’ve definitely learned so much from him in that perspective.
“I think in general people will look back and think he’s started off what I think will be a dynasty at the club.
“I think they have the foundation now to really move forward and have a really good five-six-seven years.”
Gowans could not reveal the Crows’ new recruits yet, but said the players arrive at Longwarry from prior stints in EFL Division 1 and Casey Cardinia, while he’s still trying to entice Josh Burke and Troy Lehman before the league transfer deadline this week.
His recruiting shopping list includes another strong inside midfielder to chop out for league best-and-fairest Tye Holland and he wants to retain more of the under-18s and up-and-coming players to build a foundation for the next generation.
Longwarry has a practice match scheduled against Emerald on Saturday 28 March at Emerald.
