By Jon Geddes

GORDON coach Billy Melrose has revealed loyalty to the Highlanders’ players was instrumental in his decision to return to the job after sensationally resigning in the lead-up to the start of the Shute Shield.

In an extraordinary turn of events, not only did Melrose resume his duties the day before the opening game against Souths, but Matt Glascott returned as club president replacing Brad Harrison.

After guiding Gordon into last year’s grand final against Sydney University, Melrose’s dramatic exit was a bombshell that risked blowing up the club’s 2023 campaign.       

Now Melrose has opened up to Rugby News about the support that moved him to change his mind and how the Highlanders are getting back on track after the pre-season “shemozzle” which saw them starting the season “a fair way behind the eight ball”.

“There was a lot of turmoil,” he admitted. “It was never about me verses anyone, some things in the club were not quite aligned and I stood aside.

“I did not step down to try and force an issue and force them to put someone out. 

“Ultimately some things took place in the next week and a half that made things different – it was not because I wanted them to be different, that was just the club doing what they did.

“There was no pressure from me. I did not plan what happened at board level, that is nothing to do with me.”

THE GREAT PERSUADERS

A pivotal moment was the 90-minute meeting between Melrose and Glascott, who previously stood aside as club president, trying to entice the coach back on board.

“Obviously Matt and I had success together,” Melrose said.

Another very persuasive factor was the strong support that Melrose received from the Gordon playing group.

“I love the players and we have had some good times at the club,” he said.          

“Ultimately I felt a responsibility to come back – the driving factors were my loyalty to the players and my loyalty to the ex-president (Glascott).”

A STRANGE DAY INDEED

PREPARATIONS for that first round game against Southern Districts at Forshaw Rugby Park could not have been more shambolic.

“It was incredibly disruptive, basically for three weeks the team barely trained, it was an absolute shemozzle,” Melrose said. “I was not there for a week and half and we had bad weather and other things that stopped us training.

“We were a fair way behind the eight-ball at the start.”

And he certainly did not enjoy a fairy tale return to the office.

“I wasn’t that happy the first day I came back and Southern Districts beat us (16-7),” Melrose said.

“That was probably the strangest day I have ever had in footy – when I came back into the job (on Friday) I did not actually know what the team was.

“That was always going to be a difficult day, there had been a lot of emotion in that time and it was not the ultimate way to prepare for a game of footy.

“We did our best and Souths were just too good.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

THE reinstated coach admitted the team has been trying to do a bit of catch-up since the start of the competition.

“We are a bit rusty, but we have been getting better the last couple of weeks,” Melrose said.

He said the team will be looking for an improvement of 10 to 20 pe cent each game.  

While Melrose was pleased to get the 49-29 victory over Warringah last Saturday, he was not getting carried away with that performance.

“It was a strange game … they dominated possession heavily and it could have been a different game,” he said. “But as it turned out we took chances that we got.

“It was a lot more competitive than the scoreline.”

Gordon face another big test on Saturday, when they take on traditional heavyweights Eastwood at Chatswood Oval.

The Woodies will have a point to prove after uncharacteristically winning one of their first three encounters.

“Eastwood are always one of the teams that seem to be in the mix and there is great rivalry between the two clubs,” Melrose said. “So, it’s just another big game.”