![A snapshot of Mitch Thorp's career. Pictures by Paul Scambler, Scott Gelston A snapshot of Mitch Thorp's career. Pictures by Paul Scambler, Scott Gelston](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/8mt7fPj3AeZSAF4grZ2EUc/c5cfa4f9-aa50-44e8-83d2-fcf679da6839.jpg/r0_598_3095_2434_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Launceston will transfer back to regional football next season with a new coach.
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Mitch Thorp will finish leading the Blues at the end of this season, ending a trophy-laden 11-year, three-club coaching career across the Tasmanian State League.
Following roles at South Launceston and Devonport, he joined Launceston in 2018 and began coaching the next season - leading them to triumphs in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The forward played in two of those flags, as well as the 2013 triumph at South Launceston, referencing the 2020 win as a major career highlight.
"North Launnie were and still are a dominant club and we went in as underdogs in that grand final and just found a way to win," said the 35-year-old father-of-two who grew up in Ross and was on the books with Hawthorn for three seasons.
"Jobi Harper's goal on three-quarter-time just sticks out in my mind of a leader that took control of a moment which ultimately gave us momentum to go on and win that last quarter and grand final.
"That just sticks out in my whole footy career as one of the better moments."
Throughout Thorp's time coaching Launceston, four players - Isaac Chugg, Colby McKercher, James Leake and Arie Schoenmaker - have been drafted to the AFL.
Thorp is especially proud of Leake's promotion - from not being part of the Tasmania Devils' initial squad in his draft year to being selected in the first round by GWS.
Reflecting on his six years in charge at Windsor Park, Thorp spoke highly of the leadership group that guided the Blues to their three-peat.
"With Sandra Boland as president, myself as coach, Jobi Harper as captain, Zac Young as head physio and Jono O'Neill as our head of welfare - we just had a really strong unit," he said.
"We had to make a lot of very tough decisions. When you win premierships and make runs at finals, you've got to leave players out and make tough calls, and my job was made a lot easier by having some great people around me.
"I'm so fortunate to those guys because I can't speak highly enough of the time that I've had at the club and I look forward to what the next phase of the club looks like."
The decision
The state's best player in 2013 and leading goal-kicker in 2018 informed the playing group of his decision following the side's loss to Clarence earlier this month.
It comes after signing a one-year extension in July last year, which was done with a view of this season being his last.
"As you connect with a new group, and particularly a young group, it makes it really difficult and it was a very hard decision," Thorp said.
"Ultimately, I've been coaching for 11 years in this competition and been involved with it for 13 years, so it's time for something new.
"I've got an 10-year-old son [Pax] and 11-year-old daughter [Jaga] and they don't know anything other than going to the footy on a Saturday.
"We [Mitch and wife Kyla] also run a little [personal training] business that's getting busier, and with the football landscape changing, it's certainly the right time to stop coaching."
It means the Blues' last-round clash against Glenorchy looks set to be his 200th and final game as coach.
His efforts have been praised by Launceston president Scott Stephens, who joined Thorp in describing the decision as "the right time".
"He's been hugely successful in what he's achieved at the club. He'll go down with some of the great coaches we've had down here," Stephens said.
"(Winning) state premierships and kids drafted, we couldn't have asked for anything else and he's certainly given his all to the role.
"With that there can be some collateral damage, but you see that at all clubs."
Family first
One of Thorp's major off-field highlights has been seeing his son Pax fall in love with Launceston Football Club.
The 10-year-old plays in one of the Blues' under-12 teams, also coached by Thorp, and can regularly be seen running around Windsor Park with mates during Saturday matches.
"He was just a four-year-old when I first started coaching Launceston and has now progressed to the under-12s," Thorp said.
"It's not just him, it's someone like [former player] Luke McCabe's son who plays in the same team and they come every Saturday together.
"There's about five or six of them - Isaac Brewer, whose older bother Caleb is playing in the senior team, he's in my under-12s team as well.
"There's a group of very young men that look up to our senior program and our footy club and it's been a nice by-product of being involved with the club to have the family now connected."
Thorp said with a smile that sometimes coaching the senior team can be more relaxing than the under-12s.