St Kilda’s dismal 2021 campaign has led to a mass clean-out of the club’s football department, with two assistant coaches and the high-performance boss copping the cut.
Assistant coaches Aaron Hamill and Adam Skrobalak, as well as high-performance chief Matt Hornsby, have all been moved on, while senior physiotherapist Andrew Wallis is also departing the club.
The overhaul of the football department comes after St Kilda failed to make the finals despite last season finishing sixth and winning an elimination final.
Many experts consider St Kilda to be in a premiership window and had backed the Saints to at least win one final again this season, but they have instead mustered just 10 wins and finished 10th on the ladder.
Hamill, who captained the Saints in 2003 during an 11-year career at Carlton and St Kilda, is departing after 10 seasons on the club’s coaching team. He finished his time at St Kilda as backline coach.
Skrobalak arrived at St Kilda in 2015 and coached the forward line in his last role with the Saints.
Hornsby joined St Kilda ahead of the 2016 season after spending 13 years at Richmond.
Wallis’ tenure spanned 14 years.
Head coach Brett Ratten and midfield coach Brendon Lade have been retained for 2022.
“These departures are difficult at the best of times, but are made even harder when you’re working with such high-quality individuals,” St Kilda chief operating officer Simon Lethlean said.
“Aaron and Adam have both had impact on countless players during their time on our coaching panel, with Aaron also serving as an important link to our club history, a role I’m sure he will continue for a long time.”
Lethlean also acknowledged the impact of Wallis on the club.
“Andrew is one of the best physios in the business and has laid a strong foundation for our team to continue delivering an extremely high level of support to our players moving forward,” Lethlean said.
“We thank all four for their contributions to the club and look forward to celebrating their achievements with the broader club once restrictions allow.”
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!