THE EXODUS of talent leaving Fremantle has continued with assistant coach Peter German advising senior coach Mark Harvey and CEO Steve Rosich that he would not seek an extension of his contract.

German, who joined Fremantle in November 2006 after coaching Subiaco in the WAFL for four years, including two premierships, said he was keen to return to Melbourne with his family.

“We’ve been in WA for nine years now and it’s probably the right time to be going back home to Melbourne,” he said.

“At this stage I’m unsure of what the future holds but I intend to continue with my career in the football industry.

“I’ve very much enjoyed my time here at Fremantle and I’m proud of the contribution I’ve made as midfield coach, particularly given the marked improvement in that aspect of our game in the latter part of the season.”

Rosich said that German’s decision two months before his contract expired would greatly benefit the forward planning of Harvey and general manager of football operations Chris Bond to fill two assistant coaching positions prior to the 2009 pre-season.

“Our immediate task was to fill the coaching role that Chris Bond has vacated to become general manager of football operations, so the timing of Peter’s decision will allow us to fill both positions in a timely fashion,” he said.

“I've asked Mark Harvey and Chris Bond to advise me of their preferred coaching structure and the capabilities that they're looking for to fill those roles.”

Harvey said that during his two years at Fremantle, German had made a significant contribution to the development of players.

“Peter loves the game and has a tremendous work ethic,” he said.

“Those qualities alone have had a very positive influence on the playing group during his time at the club.”

German, who played 185 games for North Melbourne, started his coaching career in 1995 as captain/coach of Burnie in Tasmanian Football League.

During his three-year tenure at the TFL club, German played a key role in its name change from the Burnie Hawks to the Burnie Dockers, a move which resulted in the Burnie players wearing Fremantle colours for the past 13 years and later becoming one of Fremantle’s aligned clubs.

German’s coaching career also included stints as an assistant coach at Hawthorn (1998-1999) and West Coast (2000-2001). Before his appointment as coach of Subiaco (2003-2006), German coached Peel in the WAFL for a year in 2002.