Grant, a club legend who won multiple league best-and-fairests playing for the Cougars, informed the team at training on Thursday night of his decision, according to club president Jason Gordon.

"We're disappointed it worked like this but he felt it was best for the development of the players that we move forward without him," Gordon told The Wimmera Mail-Times.

"(It's) very hard to be out of the game for as long as he has been and to be able to pick it up. He felt there were better people at the club to lead the club than him.

"He's a terrific guy and a legend of our club and he explained to the players on Thursday night that it was all about their development and he didn't feel that he was the guy."

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The Cougars will move forward with two of their assistant coaches filling the role.

"Dylan Collis has been our assistant coach all year and he and Beau Harris who's been helping out with Ashley have stepped up and taken the role," Gordon said.

Collis has high-level coaching experience having served as an assistant coach of Waratah in the Northern Territory Football League Premier League.

The Cougars in their inaugural season in the Horsham District Football Netball League currently sit in tenth spot with one win on the board.

The club located about forty kilometres from SA is one of numerous HDFNL sides that have been adversely impacted by the recent uncertainty and restrictions surrounding the SA border.

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