PORTLAND is chasing a new coach with Luke Crane opting to stand aside following a four-year stint at the helm of the Hampden league club.
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Crane led the Tigers to a 15.14 (104) to 12.9 (81) victory over Terang Mortlake on Saturday which lifted them off the bottom of the ladder. They finished with six wins.
“I will still stick around Portland. I hope to play, I will see how my body goes,” the injury-riddled small forward said.
“The last two weeks it's been good. I will have an extended break over summer and not do as much pre-season.”
Crane said the developement of Tigers into TAC Cup and VFL players as well as the emergence of Daniel Jackson and Connor Peters were highlights from his time as coach.
He said he was proud of the Tigers’ commitment over the past two games, which helped them finish the season on a positive note.
“We did the basics pretty well and our pressure was really good last week and we followed it on yesterday,” he said.
“We made them make mistakes and that put them under the pump.”
Terang Mortlake mentor Michael Sargeant said the Bloods had already “moved onto next year”.
He expects most of the senior list, including Jordie McKenzie, Joel Moloney and Nick Couch, to play again in 2019.
Ex-Melbourne defender Colin Garland, who played one game for the Bloods this season, has moved to Tasmania and won’t be returning.
Sargeant, who has committed for next season, said Terang Mortlake had an “up and down” campaign.
“Last year we won six games after three the previous year and this year we’ve won seven,” he said.
“We would have liked a lot more but at the same time the competition this year has gone up another 10 or 20 per cent."
Sargeant said the Bloods were “really disappointed” to finish the way they did against the Tigers.
“They wanted it more than us. They outplayed us by a long way,” he said.
“I was a little hard on them (after the game). At the end of the day, when the whips get cracking, you have to really want it and today we just didn't.
“There’s no next week. We move on to next year quickly.”