“If you’re going to go down, you want to go down all guns blazing. I don’t think we did that.”
As head coach, he had to take responsibility, he said.
Athletic were last on the table heading into the last game, with North Wellington two points ahead.
The capital team went down 3-1 to Napier City Rovers, meaning an Athletic victory (three points) would have secured a Central League spot next season.
Calvert said it was a great opportunity to stay in the league and continue to build.
“We just haven’t taken it but, again, the buck stops with me.”
Whether he would return as coach next season was yet to be determined.
“It’s hard to give it the big one when you’ve just got a team relegated, so let’s see if they want me back,” Calvert said.
“We have to review everything and make sure people are in positions that are right for the club. Everything has to be in the club’s best interests.”
The club will return to the Federation League next year.
“We have to be ready and we have to see what happens with players over the off-season,” Calvert said.
“Some people can play a game of football and just leave it there and others can’t. Everyone has to take stock for a few weeks.
“Our actions this season haven’t been effective enough, they just haven’t. The league doesn’t lie.”
The club managed one victory and two draws this season.
Calvert said there were glimpses of what the team could do at their best but they couldn’t “dine out on glimpses in games”.
“You’ve got to be effective for 90 minutes. You have to have everything sorted on and off the pitch.”
Despite relegation, the club had exposed the region to a higher level of football than it was used to.
“You hope people reflect and think about ways to get themselves back there.
“That’s not just players. It’s supporters, it’s management staff, it’s everyone.
“This is the Under-19s watching and the parents that support them. They will look at it and go ‘I want to do everything I can’.”
Calvert said there had been great moments throughout the season, including Charlie Meredith’s double against North Wellington, and Shaan Stewart and Jake Symcox bringing up 100 caps for the club.
“No one is going to take away Ryan Holden being our top goal-scorer [eight goals] and no one is going to take away the fact he’s been a good leader this year.
“The big picture is what’s happened though, and it’s such a shame.
“That can gnaw away at people and I think it will for a little bit, to be honest.”
The first team’s season was over but there was still football to be played, he said.
Athletic Reserves will play Napier City Rovers in the Federation Cup final at Wembley Park on Saturday.
“Our Under-17s kick off their national youth league campaign at home this weekend against Petone and our Under-19s will start preparations the week after,” Calvert said.
“In some ways, we don’t have time to dwell on what’s happened. There are more footballing challenges and competitions coming.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
