Rob Wiley - Media Statement

Rob Wiley, the senior coach of the East Fremantle Football Club has this week notified the Board of Directors that he will not exercise his option to continue as coach of the Sharks for the 2019 season. During a meeting with the Board and senior staff on Monday, Rob gave notice of his resignation to which the Board has reluctantly but amicably accepted. Rob and the Board have mutually agreed for Rob to continue as senior coach of the Club for the remainder of the 2018 season.

Rob stated “I have been coaching the Club for three years now and was certainly hopeful of attaining much better results. Yes, we have had a terrible run with injuries, but regardless of this fact, clearly the playing group have not achieved the results that we would have liked or accepted”.

“I am a realist and these results aren’t what the Club and Members expected, so I must put the Club first and allow them to search for a replacement for the 2019 season. I sincerely thank the club for giving me the opportunity to be their senior coach for the past three years and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Board, Players, Coaches, Members and Volunteers of this great Club, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”

President Mark Stewart also stated that “It is very disappointing to see Rob finish his outstanding career as a player, coach and icon of the game in Western Australia this way”.

“I know personally that Rob has given everything he could to improve the playing group over the past three years, but we simply couldn’t get our best personnel on the field for any long periods of playing time. The Board was unanimous that Rob will coach the Club until the end of the season, allowing the Club to seek a replacement coach over the next four months for the start of the 2019 season”.