Railways coaches change tracks

Railways premiership coaches Kim Mayfield and Tim Alvin are retiring after leading the club to its first Great Southern Football League flag in 26 years last month.

The coaches made the surprise announcement at the Tigers’ best-and-fairest count last Friday night.

An emotional Mayfield told the Tigers players of his decision.

“When Tim and I decided to do it (coaching), it was always going to be a short-term thing,” Mayfield said.

“We would take it year-by-year and really we achieved what we set out to pretty quickly.”

The 52-year-old was adamant the Tigers were in a great position going forward and forecast their successor would take over a driven bunch of players.

“It is not as if we are stepping away with the club in a bad position,” Mayfield said.

“We know the players are driven, they have got a winning culture, that desire to win.”

Mayfield said he would remain involved at Tigerland but not in coaching capacity, and went on to say a coaching panel, much like the past two years, was the way it should stay.

“I think appointing a coaching panel is a good thing, especially if they try and appoint a player-coach” he said. “It helps having two or three different ideas.”

Mayfield also said he had not recommended anyone as a potential replacement, but was willing to help the club with the process.

Railways president Mick Ryan said the search for a new coach began almost immediately and confirmed the club had two coaches on its radar but would not elaborate.

He said he hoped an appointment would be made by the end of November.

Assistant coach Scott Sedgwick has also confirmed he will not continue on in the role in 2013.