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LOCKINGTON-Bamawm United's Kahl Oliver says he has lost the desire to continue as the Cats' coach in the Heathcote District league.
Oliver - who was to have co-coached the Cats with Brodie Collins this season - made the decision at the weekend to step down.
"I've realised just how much time is involved in coaching a senior side and have probably just lost a bit of that burn and desire to keep going along," Oliver said on Wednesday.
"It's a job where if you're not 100 per cent committed to it, it can really become a drag and with the playing group we've got at the moment, I didn't want to be letting it or the club down.
"We've got Brodie Collins there who is super driven and keen to put his stamp on things and I'm confident he'll be able to do the role really well."
Had the HDFNL season gone ahead this year, the Cats would have been red-hot flag favourites.
Coming off the disappointment of a straight-sets finals exit last season, the Cats had put together an imposing list that had been boosted by the inclusions of Lachlan Atherton, Trent Bacon, Brodie Collins, Jesse Collins and Ben McPhee from Eaglehawk, James McPhee from Rochester and experienced Goulburn Valley league defender Liam Wilkinson.
But with the season called off due to COVID, the Cats will have to wait until next year to unveil their star-studded team.
"I suppose to walk away without having achieved what we set out to a couple of years ago when I came back has been disappointing, but it has been a long journey at Locky," Oliver said.
"I just find myself now needing to concentrate on other things in life and take a bit of pressure off myself and family."
Oliver has had two coaching stints with LBU, which took him on as an untried 24-year-old coach for the 2010 season.
After finishing runner-up to Heathcote in his first season at the helm in 2010, the Cats then won three flags in a row under Oliver between 2011 and 2013.
Oliver ended his first tenure after 2013, before later returning and coaching in 2018 and last year.
Oliver has coached the Cats in 109 games for 86 wins and 23 losses.
Oliver's coaching career at LBU:
2010 - 2nd (14-6)
2011 - 1st (17-1)
beat Heathcote for flag
2012 - 1st (15-3)
beat North Bendigo for flag
2013 - 1st (17-1)
beat Huntly for flag
2018 - 5th (10-7)
2019 - 4th (13-5)
50 MOST DOMINANT FLAG SEASONS IN BFL, HDFL, LVFL SINCE 1990 - THE LIST SO FAR
No. 30 & 29 - Maryborough 1998; Gisborne 2005
No. 32 & 31 - South Bendigo 1994; Golden Square 2009
No. 34 & 33 - Castlemaine 1992; South Bendigo 1990
No. 36 & 35 - Mitiamo 1999; Sandhurst 2016
No. 38 & 37 - North Bendigo 2019; Leitchville-Gunbower 2018
No. 40 & 39 - Bridgewater 1991; Calivil United 2017
No. 42 & 41 - Heathcote 1992, Sandhurst 2004
No. 44 & 43 - Eaglehawk 2008, Elmore 2007
No. 46 & 45 - Mount Pleasant 1990, Newbridge 2018
No. 48 & 47 - Gisborne 2006, Calivil United 1990
No. 50 & 49 - Calivil United 2003, Eaglehawk 2018
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