Tara Murray
Hillside coach Charlie Denaro believes the time is right for a new voice to leave the Essendon District Football League division 1 club forward.
The Sharks announced on Wednesday that Denaro had informed the club he wasn’t seeking reappointment as senior coach next year due to work and other commitments.
Denaro took on the senior coaching role in late 2019, having previously been an assistant coach to Steve Burns.
Denaro said the timing was right for him to step away.
“I think that I’ve had a good run,” he said. “I think it’s time for a bit of a different direction and a new voice.
“The decision was made quite a while ago and I spoke to the club about my intentions.
“It was really hard as I love the club, but I believe it is the right thing to do.”
Denaro first started at the club in 2005 and has been a player, an assistant coach, a junior coach, a senior coach, senior vice president, president and was awarded life membership in 2022.
He said he had seen many of the footballers at the club grow from kids through to senior footballers.
“A lot of the boys I have coached since under-14s,” he said.
“Tristian Rudic, Bailey Ryan are some that I’ve coached almost their whole careers. I’ve worked with the playing group a long time and seen them through the ranks.
“Seeing them develop and watch them grow as footballers and people has been a highlight.”
Denaro said after challenges the first couple of years when they lost a number of players and COVID-19, the club was now in a good place.
“Whoever takes on the role, the club is set up with a good list,” he said.
“We lost a lot of players and were able to stay resilient and progressed the last two years with our list with a couple of full seasons.
“We’re likely to get a little bit of reward with a crack at finals. I’ve started this journey and while there is still some unfinished business, we have ticked a lot of boxes.”
The Sharks barring a couple of big losses and a couple of big Craigieburn wins, have all but secured finals.
The Sharks will warm up for finals with clashes against second placed Deer Park and fourth placed St Albans.
Denaro is looking forward to the back part of the season and what it might bring.
“We want to win every game, nothing changes in that respect,” he said.
“We’ve got two massive challenges and we potentially have the same time in the last game and in the first final.
“We’ll continue to play footy for minimum two weeks. Hopefully, its three, four, five or six weeks.”
