St Kilda and Alan Richardson have parted ways, with the club confirming the news on their website on Tuesday morning.
St Kilda President Andrew Bassat released the following statement on the website.
โOn behalf of everyone at the football club, from the board to the players, staff and supporters, I want to thank Alan for his commitment and contribution,โ he said.
โI also want to extend our gratitude to Alanโs wife Jo, and boys Lachey and Ben, who have allowed the St Kilda family to share their husband and dad during this time.
โAlan brought great integrity, knowledge and experience to our football program, and under his leadership, the foundation for future success has been laid.
โHe inherited his role at a difficult point in the clubโs history, developed the young players now beginning to make their mark, took the club to the cusp of two finals appearances, and in recent times, showed great resilience in the face of adversity.
โAlanโs selflessness and focus on what is right for the playing group and club has always been immense, but itโs perhaps been best demonstrated in the past two days through his decision to step aside and allow the club the time and space to find the next coach of the St Kilda Football Club.
โThere is no escaping the significant setbacks we have faced this year in regards to player availability, and these, as you would expect, have been taken into account in our decision.
โUltimately, after six years under Alanโs leadership, the team performance and the position in which we find ourselves isnโt where it needs to be.
โThis responsibility doesnโt just rest with the senior coach, and indeed we feel that the performance of Alan and the rest of the coaching group in adverse circumstances this year is to be commended.
โHowever, after significant consideration, we believe the time is right to introduce a new voice to oversee the next stage in our development and drive us forward.โ
