The new regime at Brisbane Roar has made another significant change, with Liberty A-League head coach Garrath McPherson leaving the club with immediate effect.
New Roar CEO Kaz Patafta confirmed McPherson’s exit on Monday evening, making clear that “high expectations” for the club’s women’s team had not been met and that a new head coach would be installed “imminently”.
The move comes with Brisbane sitting fourth on the Liberty A-League ladder with two wins and a draw from their first four games, including a 1-1 stalemate with the Central Coast in Gosford on Sunday.
But Patafta said the club was looking for its women’s team to be “rejuvenated” under a new leader.
McPherson was only reappointed to the role in May for what would have been his third season as women’s head coach after previously spending three years as assistant.
“I’d like to personally thank Garrath for his leadership and dedication to both the Roar Women’s team and the entire club,” Patafta said in a statement.
“Garrath’s contribution to the club has been outstanding. However, we believe it is time for the Liberty A-League Women’s program to be rejuvenated. We have set high expectations for our Women’s team and want to see certain improvements across the board.
“An announcement regarding the future of the Brisbane Roar Women’s Head Coach will be made imminently.”
Patafta and chief operating officer Zac Anderson were appointed in July to take the club in a radically different direction, with Anderson admitting Brisbane had “really lost its identity, it really lost who it was as a football club.
“We realized that it really needed a strong DNA for the fans and its community to really understand where the club was moving towards and in a strong and clear direction.”
UNITE ROUND TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Get your tickets for the ultimate away day here
