What recruits did they get? Missed the article
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Upper Murray FL 2019
- Thread starter Old Kenny
- Start date
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- Mar 20, 2017
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- AFL Club
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Its not a good state of affairs. Only 4 teams and two are head and shoulders above the other two. Means that the top 2 get a decent game every 3 weeks and the bottom 2 get flogged 2 games every 3.
The problem is of course distance. Ideally you would merge with Tallangatta league and have division 1 with 8 teams and Division 2 with 8. Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, Dederang/Mt. Beauty and Wodonga Saints drop down to Division 2. You could play a couple of Wodonga Saints games at Bethanga. It's a tough ask to get Tumbarumba to go Dederang a couple of times a year though.
The problem is of course distance. Ideally you would merge with Tallangatta league and have division 1 with 8 teams and Division 2 with 8. Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, Dederang/Mt. Beauty and Wodonga Saints drop down to Division 2. You could play a couple of Wodonga Saints games at Bethanga. It's a tough ask to get Tumbarumba to go Dederang a couple of times a year though.
- Thread starter
- #628
Obviously the only option is just to keep going the way it is. Keep recruiting has beens out of Albury/Wodonga. Keep watching money walk out of the area. Keep asking 15 year old kids to play seconds footy. Keep watching families seek better for their kids elsewhere.
Just got to be happy with the same old same old because there’s no better option..
- Mar 20, 2017
- 9,524
- 32,281
- AFL Club
- Carlton
I think that they've got to think a bit left field or else it's only matter of time before it gets too hard. There are no easy options though.
How about they try the Tallangatta Division 2 model and build a neutral ground at the bottom of the hill (at around Bullioh but not the current Bullioh ground) a bit like Sandy Creek where the big distance games like Tumba v Dederang can be played and the home club can still run the gate. Then try desperately to get a couple of clubs up and running (e.g. Federals, Walwa) in the knowledge that you play a fair few different teams of varying standards and ability.
So with 10 teams you have 18 games playing each other at home and away
Cudgewa
Bullioh
Corryong
Federals
Tumbarumba
Walwa
Wodonga Saints (play home game v Tumburumba at Bethanga)
Wahgunyah
Rutherglen
Dederang/Mt Beauty
Now of course it wouldn't be easy. It would probably depend on Dederang and the Rutherglen clubs would be prepared to swap travel for regular beltings. Finals would be played at the new Bullioh ground.
Clearly its a bit of a thought bubble currently.
- Thread starter
- #630
Mate I’m all for new ideas. The Corryong area can carry one really good team. It’s showing rite now. Cudgewa are flying. Corryong fc are just going.. not much more. Walwa are gone. There isn’t enough families down that way anymore. Your wahgunyahs and Rutherglens are just too far away and should look into a merger. Going there once in a season from the upper Murray could be done but that’s about it. Dmb are in a bit of strife by the looks. Seem to have good juniors though.
Just to be clear. There’s enough junior footballers up here to field one team in each grade and no club can plan long term without juniors imo.
There’s one option that makes sense above all others but that’s been howled down.
Some elements seem as though they'd rather see their club survive in a two-team league than putting aside self-interest and adopting common sense for the benefit of football in the whole region into the future.
