The volatile ACT premier league coaching merry-go-round has claimed another casualty.
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Tuggeranong United stalwart Jeremy Butler is the latest to be given his marching orders after he was sacked for clashing with the club's committee. Butler is the second coach to be punted this season following Robbie Graham's exit from Canberra FC.
Throw in Dean Ugrinic stepping down from the top job at Canberra Olympic for personal reasons, and three of the competition's eight teams have new men at the helm.
But while Graham's departure from the reigning five-time champion was out of the blue, Butler said there had been tension between himself and the club's board almost since he was appointed this season.
''It's been brewing for a while,'' Butler said. ''From about week two in the competition there were murmurs they weren't happy with me.
''The essence of the conflict was that I said that they didn't have a right to have a say on footballing matters in regards to selection.
''They didn't like that.''
Tuggeranong Pathways coach Glenn Moutrey will take the reins for the rest of the season, starting with today's match against ladder leader Belconnen United at Kambah.
Butler doesn't hold any grudges against the club which has been a major part of his life for the past three decades.
The 35-year-old was club captain for 12 years before agreeing to follow the board's wishes and sacrifice his place in the premier league team so he could focus on coaching.
Butler earned the ire of the board for pulling on the boots when the premier league reserves side was short of players last weekend, assuming the board's ban only related to the premier league team.
''They essentially said, if you play in reserve grade, we're going to fire you,'' he said.
''My argument was that I had to play because we had no other players. It's a duty of care to players - backing up isn't good for their development and increases the risk of injuries.''
The Canberra Times understands players weren't consulted about the board's decision, one which Butler believes will stifle the club's development.
Tuggeranong has blooded an exciting batch of youngsters on its way to winning four of 14 games this season.
''They [the board] have probably set the club back another two years,'' Butler said.
''Tuggeranong doesn't have a licensed club, it doesn't have money.
''Its biggest asset is its members.
''You need to make them feel that they're special and are a part of something.''
Tuggeranong president Anthony Corder confirmed Butler's departure but wouldn't go into detail about the reasons for his dismissal.
Meanwhile, Canberra FC has bolstered its attacking stocks by welcoming back star striker Paul Ivanic for the rest of the season.
Ivanic joined the Monaro Panthers at the end of last season only to return to Canberra FC as it looks to close the gap on Belconnen United at the top of the table.
Canberra FC is six points behind the Blue Devils with seven games left.