The curtain will fall on a remarkable career at North Ballarat on Saturday when Gerard Fitzgerald coaches for the final time.

The Roosters’ triple premiership-winning leader will lead the team for the final time against Coburg at Eureka Stadium, ending his career at the club as the record-holder for most games coached in VFL history with 345.

Fitzgerald started coaching in the VFL in 1997 at North Ballarat and was this year told his contract would not be renewed.

“The club showed faith in a country coach who wanted to continue to grow and develop as a coach – I was given a chance and I’ll always cherish that,” FitzGerald told the VFL website.

“I’ve always appreciated the faith the club showed in me.”

Affectionately known as “Fitzy”, he is one of only four VFL/VFA coaches to have led their team to three consecutive premierships (2008-10).

He was named coach of the VFL Team of the Year in 2000 and has always maintained a strong philosophy on building club success.

“As a club based in Ballarat and taking on some clubs that had been playing for over 100 years in this competition, we had to overcome the doubts and just achieve some belief and confidence,” FitzGerald said.

“Back then, coaching was more about trying to grow and develop that club from just being a part of Ballarat to being Ballarat’s club.”

FitzGerald also coached Springvale in 2003, Port Melbourne in 2004 and the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup in 2005 and 2006.

“I enjoyed it (the TAC Cup) enormously,” FitzGerald said.

“I enjoyed nurturing and developing the talent and I enjoyed being an influence on boys’ lives in their 17th and 18th years.

“My teaching background helped me then and helps me even with what I’m doing today, as I prepare training, as I provide feedback and deal with the complexities of human nature.”

He began his second stint with the Roosters in 2007 and embarked on a sensational premiership run.

“The game challenges you to adapt and change, and if you don’t adapt and change, you’ll end up withering,” FitzGerald said.

“The game will change again next year from how it is now.

“Your principles and values must stay sound and you must always abide by those, but at the same time, your methodology must continue to change.

“The difference in the competition now to when I started is considerable, and a lot of it’s because of the AFL involvement.

“The AFL clubs joining our competition in 2000 demanded us (coaches) to become much more professional – to get the very best out of our boys knowing we’ve only got a minimum amount of time with them because they’re all doing something else other than playing football.”

Fitzgerald has formed a close relationship with North Melbourne over the journey and often participates in the club’s training sessions and match days along with the other coaches.

“The relationships that I’ve formed, I’ve cherished,” he said.

“It’s a relationship-based industry, coaching; football clubs are about relationships and connectivity.

“I enjoy that and I’ve developed some fantastic relationships and am connected all over Australia as a result of my coaching.

“I’d hope that my players would say I cared – that I cared about them as footballers and I cared about them as people.”