Bairnsdale midfielder Kane Ashwood is headed back to the East Gippsland Football Netball League (EGFNL) and will coach Lindenow in 2016 and 2017.

Ashwood has sat out the entire 2015 season as he recovers from a knee reconstruction.

When last playing in the East Gippsland competition he was a member of the Wy Yung premiership team in 2005 and captained the 2008 premiership team.

Ashwood left East Gippsland in 2009 but returned after a stint in Queensland where he won a premiership with Caloundra to join Bairnsdale when the club shifted back into the Gippsland League in 2011.

He said the time is right to head back to the EGFNL to pursue his coaching ambitions.

“I’ve had coaching in the back of my mind for a little while now,” Ashwood said.

“As you get older you start to move away from thinking about what you have achieved as a player and begin to set yourself new goals as either a coach or committee person.

“I love footy and want to continue to be involved in the game so coaching is the obvious step.

“Fortunately, Lindenow were looking for someone to take the reins from Turk and approached me.

“It’s a club with a rich history. They’ve been successful in recent times and are the only club in the competition to make finals for the past six years so the bar is set pretty high from the start.

“I’m hoping to bring my own approach to the club which will freshen things up a bit for the blokes that are already there and hopefully we’ll be able to recruit a few new faces.”

Outgoing coach Paul Carroll said it was critical that he could hand over control to the right person.

“The time is right for me to take a backseat after two stints in the main role,” Carroll said.

“It’s been a fantastic journey. Obviously the 2011 premiership was a highlight but it’s also very satisfying to leave after transitioning the list this year while also remaining competitive.

“Kane has the football pedigree to achieve a lot as a coach and we’re very pleased to have him onboard.”

Lindenow Football Director Chris Daffey thanked Carroll for his service to the club.

“Paul Carroll has made a massive contribution to the Lindenow Football and Netball Club both on and off of the field,” Daffey said.

“It’s exciting for everyone at the club to have someone of Kane’s calibre on board but it wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of Turk and the coaching staff as well as the committee.

“After six years as senior coach with only a 12 month break in the middle, we hope Turk gets a bit more time with his family and we wish him all the best but we also know he’ll still be a valuable contributor to our club in the future.”