Wodonga Raiders' coach Marc Almond has stepped down, effective immediately, due to pressing family issues.
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The players were informed of the decision at training on Thursday night.
"There's family reasons behind Marc's decision and he just can't dedicate as much time as he would like," Raiders' president Zennon McCarty said.
"Marc and his family have to come first and that's priority No. 1 for him and the club will continue to fully support him."
Almond had announced last week he would step down after the season.
"I've put my heart and soul into coaching for the best part of two decades and I'm just cooked," Almond offered.
"After the coaching announcement it probably solidified to me that I need to step away and focus on some family issues, which I will put my entire attention to."
One of the issues, sadly, is Almond's father Neville, who has had recent heart issues, but had two stents inserted on Thursday.
Assistant coach Joel Price, reserves mentor Beau Packer and gun player Cam Ellis-Yolmen will combine to lead the team in the away game against Wangaratta on Saturday.
The club then has the following weekend off, allowing more time to make further decisions on the coaching makeup for the rest of the season, if needed.
Almond was appointed coach in September, 2021, just after the COVID-shortened season.
The club had suffered a mass exodus and Almond has been rebuilding feverishly since.
"He's very thorough and devoted, he's all-in, he goes hard at it, which is great and he dedicates a lot of time and effort and does a lot of research in the way he goes about it, he's done as much as he could," McCarty praised.
Raiders claimed their second win of the season last Saturday with a 44-point win over winless Corowa-Rutherglen.
