Andy Cygan joins Moore Creek as co-coach for 2023 season

He was one of the founding members of Gunnedah FC and had coached the club to great success throughout his tenure.

So it was "very upsetting" when he realised the numbers were not strong enough to pull together a senior team in 2023.

"Gunnedah are not going to have a senior side this year, or at least not a first or second grade side," Cygan said.

"I'd asked 30-plus players from last year, 'Who wants to play this year?' And there were only seven [affirmatives].

"So I just got to the stage where I personally felt I couldn't give any more without the commitment that I showed."

Amid the disappointment, there was a silver lining that emerged in an opportunity for him to come on board as a co-coach at the Moore Creek Mountain Goats, which he took.

It came through one of Gunnedah's former players, Mitch Harding, and Mountain Goats coach Dean Hoy, who Cygan got to know during the inaugural Headspace charity football game in 2021.

"Three of our players left to go to Moore Creek the year before - Mitch Harding, Matt Daley, and Eli Rankmore," he said.

"I stayed in touch with Mitch, and I played in the charity game the year before with Dean Hoy, and those two got in touch and asked what my plans were."

Cygan accepted the offer, and while he is "disappointed" not to be coaching Gunnedah, he is "really excited" to begin a new chapter with the Mountain Goats, a sentiment shared by Hoy.

"He's a great asset," Hoy said.

"He's really good to have around the boys, he's a wealth of knowledge. He's got plenty between the ears when it comes to football, and he knows everything about gameplay and people management."

He will make his first official appearance in a coaching capacity in this Saturday's Australia Cup fixture, when Moore Creek take on the Port Saints at the Gipps Street playing fields from 3.30pm.

The Saints are the same side that ejected Moore Creek from the competition in 2022, and Hoy said they knew "a little bit about them" from that game.

"They're a good quality team and a good bunch of blokes."

And while he hopes to avenge that loss, what Hoy really wants to see is the team gel.

"A win would be good, but it's not the be-all and end-all," he said.

"We're just happy to get a bit of team cohesion and just get back on the pitch and have a bit of fun."

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