Grasso quits as Tigers go hunting

South Bunbury has parted company with league coach Mick Grasso following a board review meeting on Tuesday night.

The 2011 grand final coach stepped down at the meeting after the club chose to advertise his position this week.

Speaking before the meeting, Grasso said he was ‘‘keen to go again’’ and was looking forward to rebuilding the Tigers’ depth.

He said he would feel hard done by if he did not return to the position in 2013.

‘‘I would be obviously very disappointed, especially if the club turned on you and went back the other way to what they initially set out to do,’’ he said on Tuesday morning.

Barely 24 hours later, a circumspect Grasso confirmed the termination of his two-year tenure at the helm.

‘‘The board wanted to take a different direction and wanted to advertise the position — they said I could put in for it if I like and I declined,’’ he said.

‘‘They wanted to see what was out there.

‘‘I said ‘you want me or don’t want me and if you are advertising for the position obviously you don’t want me’, so I am not putting in for the job because I don’t really want to drop down to their level,’’ he said.

South Bunbury president Bevan Buswell said the decision to advertise the coaching position was revealed to Grasso on the night and he was encouraged to apply.

‘‘He said he wouldn’t but he might change his mind,’’ Buswell said.

Buswell said the aim of the club was to re-establish itself as a finals contender as quickly as possible and refused to speculate who the best person would be to take the reins.

‘‘We are advertising and we will see what comes out of it,’’ he said.

However, Buswell was quick to praise Grasso on his coaching ability and performance in 2012.

‘‘Mick’s a fantastic bloke, he is fantastic around the club and well-liked by all the people that count,’’ he said.