JAMES Aubusson has played or coached rugby league every year since he was four.
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Now, nearly a quarter-of-a-century since first lacing up a football boot on the NSW North Coast, he’s ready for a holiday.
His three-year coaching reign at the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs ended with a painstaking 36-34 loss to defending premiers the Belconnen United Scholars on Sunday.
Aubusson, first queried about the prospect of coaching over a beer at the now defunct Carlton Hotel one spring afternoon in 2010, says the time is right.
“Three years is enough for one voice. I was grateful to be given the chance, but I’m happy to step aside now,” the former Sydney Roosters rake said yesterday.
“It’ll be the first year I’ve had away from football since I was four… Coaching’s been really good, but hard. It’s given me a new perspective on the game.”
Aubusson’s final match in charge mirrored his three-year tenure overall: the Bulldogs were good, but ultimately fell short of the competition’s benchmark.
Eventual winners the Queanbeyan Kangaroos ended the Bulldogs’ 2011 campaign with a gripping semi-final win.
A slow start in 2012 ruined Goulburn’s late season-charge. The opposite applied this time around.
The Bulldogs kicked-off the 2013 season in promising fashion. By the midyear break, they’d drawn a match with the reigning champs, taken down the 2011 premiers, challenged frontrunners the Queanbeyan Blues and nestled themselves in the top four.
Injuries, a lack of depth and form conspired against Goulburn.
Aubusson’s team won two matches in the second half of the year to slip from third to fifth – three competition points adrift of fourth-placed Tuggeranong.
“It’s two years in a row we’ve just missed out,” the coach continued.
“The competition’s got a lot better this year. We most probably don’t spend as much on players as other clubs, and we don’t want to, we’d rather look locally and use the players we’ve got.
“The problem with that is when you get injuries, there’s not the same depth. And against good teams like Belconnen, that’s what you need.”
The hosts conceded an early 16-0 deficit on Sunday. They showed character to peg back the margin and with two try hauls courtesy of Nathan Chappell, Kurt Selmes and Chris Druett, very nearly stole victory.
Two late penalties to Scholars goal-kicker Chris Thornley quashed the fight back. It also spoiled Aubusson’s last match at the helm and denied captain Daniel York, five-eighth Luke Gray and centre Nathan Chappell, among others, the luxury of signing off at the club as winners.
