Wangaratta senior coach Jason Heatley will be stepping down at the conclusion of the 2026 season with the search for his replacement already garnering plenty of interest.

Based in Melbourne, Heatley said the decision ultimately came down to family commitments.

“I love it, coaching is my passion, but the simple reality is we’re always family first and that’s the way it needs to be and the way it is in this case,” he said.

“The club is full of unbelievable people, support; we’re a united football netball club, that’s the number one priority and people engagement leads the way.”

“It doesn’t stop my drive; I’m employed to do a job and that will be done right to the end.”

Heatley said the club has been keeping him in the loop on their search for a new coach, hinting that plenty of interest had already been shown for the job.

“There’s a lot of balls in motion and we’ll work our way through that outside of the weekly scenarios that present themselves,” he said.

“It’s a great offering for a job.”

In a club statement, Wangaratta thanked Heatley and his family for his ongoing dedication to the coaching role over the past 18 months.

“While the club would have loved to keep Jason as senior coach we are fully understanding of his decision,” it read.

“There will be more thank-yous at the conclusion of the season but there is still lots to be achieved this year and Jason and the players are fully committed to that.”

The former St Kilda and West Coast footballer stepped into the role in 2025 following the departure of Ben Reid and a core group of senior players including Daine Porter, Michael Newton and Callum Moore.

Heatley led the team on a fairytale finals run after finishing fifth in the regular season, narrowly falling short in the grand final to cross-town favourites Wangaratta Rovers.

The Magpies are poised for another tilt at the premiership this year sitting second, having only been beaten by the Rovers in their 11 games so far.

Wangaratta’s announcement comes after four other O&M clubs indicated changes to their senior coaching ranks for the 2027 season, including Wodonga Raiders, Corowa-Rutherglen, Albury and Yarrawonga.