Heather Garriock will not be retained as Canberra United head coach when her contract expires at the end of the 2019/20 season.
The capital club made the decision to move in a new direction after the Green Machine fell short of the Westfield W-League Finals Series for a third straight year during Garriock’s tenure.
The former Westfield Matilda replaced Rae Dower after the ACT side lifted their third Westfield W-League Premiers Plate in 2016/17, and she delivered fifth and eighth placed finishes in her first two seasons in the hot seat.
Canberra shot off to a strong start in 2019/20, collecting 10 points from their first six matches, but a stretch of four straight defeats against the competition’s top four – without scoring a goal – has ended their Finals Series hopes once again.
Garriock oversaw the Canberra United youth academy program in 2019, and had a leading role in the likes of Karly Roestbakken, Laura Hughes and Nicki Flannery’s development into senior football.
“I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by Capital Football to coach at this level,” Garriock told canberraunited.com.au
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Canberra United will part ways with head coach Heather Garriock at the end of the Westfield W-League season.
Read the club's statement here 👉 https://t.co/E1JurLOYe2 pic.twitter.com/V2GWFbB99L
— Canberra United (@CanberraUnited) February 5, 2020
“As somebody who has been involved in elite sport for most of my life, I fully understand the decision that has been made by the organisation.
“I am proud of the role I have played in nurturing young players and developing them, not only as footballers but also as people. I have enjoyed contributing to the lives on-and-off the field of every player who has pulled on a Canberra United jersey.”
Capital Football CEO Phil Brown praised Garriock’s work in nurturing young talent in the region.
“Heather has played a significant role in developing young players through the pathway system, including the Canberra United Academy through to Canberra United,” he said.
“We will be indebted to Heather for the role she has played in establishing high-performance standards within the program.”
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