ACT Brumbies knew Dan McKellar was always the 'right man for the job'

Nine years of memories will come to the surface on Saturday when the side takes to Canberra Stadium, likely for the last time under McKellar, chasing a quarter-final win - as their fourth-place finish does not guarantee them a semi-final showdown, or grand final, in Canberra.

Either way, a win over the Wellington Hurricanes is what the players want for their head coach, as they "owe a lot" to him, and the four players farewelling the Brumbies family at season's end.

McKellar began his journey at the Brumbies in 2014 as an assistant coach, before four years later he moved into the top job.

Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson said the club knew McKellar was the right choice from day one.

"It was very clear that he was the right man for the job," he said.

"Dan was very clear on what he wanted to do, what he wanted to achieve, how he wanted the team to play, what he wanted to create and what legacy he wanted to create in the Brumbies."

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McKellar will leave the Brumbies at the conclusion of the season, to pursue a full-time Wallabies assistant coaching role, with a number of accolades next to his name.

A semi-finals return in 2019, a Super Rugby AU title in 2020, a grand final heartbreak in 2021 and whatever is to come in the remainder of 2022. But it was not always smooth sailing.

In his first year in the head role - after taking the reins from Stephen Larkham, who will replace him next season - the Brumbies finished 10^th and lost nine of their 16 games.

Despite this, Thomson said the Brumbies never doubted McKellar's vision.

"There was a bit of a shaky start but when the guys got behind what he was trying to do, how he was trying to play the game and get away from what was thought about us, as purely a set-piece team, to a team that plays more expansive rugby, it changed," he said.

"We understood where he was trying to get to and I understood from my involvement with Dan, I believed in what he was trying to do and how he wanted to do it, and what the end result would be. And those beliefs paid off."

The 45-year-old's legacy at the club, however, will go beyond the results on the field.

McKellar re-birthed the team's youth pathway programs, developing numerous Canberra products and upcoming talent from interstate into the Brumbies' squad.

This includes Brumbies taking to the field against the Hurricanes, such as Darcy Swain, Nick Frost, Noah Lolesio, and the Lonergan brothers to name a few.

Thomson had nothing but praise for the coach's role in strengthening those pathways.

"He leaves behind a very solid rugby program here. We're got a great reputation at the Brumbies, and what we can do for players with their development, both on and off the field," he said.

"And that's a big part to Dan, for the vision he had. When he came in, he went back to wanting to really focus on our academy program to bring players through who connected with the ACT region.

"Probably in the mid-to-early 2000s we didn't have a lot of guys who were homegrown or had been through our pathway programs.

"Whereas this year, we've got 19 guys in our squad who have come through our pathways academy programs and local juniors."

One side of McKellar, often hidden under his trusty Brumbies cap and glasses, has been his persona.

Thomson gave away McKellar's secret, something well known among the group but maybe not so much to those outside Brumbies HQ, describing him as a "very caring coach".

"He is very passionate about the Brumbies and the rugby side of things, but also the personal side," he said.

"He's got an amazing commitment and work ethic. No one could ever question the amount of time and effort he puts in.

"A lot of people talk values and talk culture but it's a matter of actually living on a day-to-day basis and creating that environment, and that's something that Dan does.

"He makes it an environment where people enjoy coming into work every day, doing this type of work and putting their body through that as a player, and the hours you do as a staff member."

While the club, the players and the fans hope Saturday is not McKellar's swan song, if it is, it will be Rugby Australia's early gain as he leaves behind a "very strong" legacy at the Brumbies.

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