Top Dove steps down

By Brad Kingsbury
GRAND final day on Saturday was bittersweet for Doveton president Mark Woolgar, who is stepping aside after three years in the top job.
While he was thrilled to see the Dove reserves triumph for the third time in as many years on the big day, his ultimate emotion was disappointment after the senior side capitulated in the season finale.
Woolgar knew that the senior team would need to pull something out of the bag after their second semi-final drubbing – but it was not to be.
In fact, after a well-documented internal blow-up between several players just three weeks before the end of the home-and-away season, Woolgar knew that there was more than a chance that the work that had been done over the six months or so prior would be for nothing.
“It’s been a very tough year, particularly towards the end,” he said after Saturday’s 58-point loss.
“We didn’t play the way we were playing early in the season, but what you put that down to I don’t know for sure.”
The season started with controversy when the club sacked 2008 coach Tom Hallinan in favour of captain Clint Wilson.
Wilson then had his application for accreditation to coach rejected by AFL Victoria due to his police record and the Doves were forced to elevate reserves’ coach Mark Mott to the senior position.
That change was in name only and Wilson continued to look after the senior side and address the players.
The Doves played some excellent team football in the first 15 rounds, however that came crashing down after the incident between players at a social function.
Woolgar admitted that, despite the committee placing internal sanctions on the participants, the side never recovered.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t take that final step and it was not the way you want to end a season as a club,” he said.
Woolgar said that he would remain on the club’s committee in 2010.