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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Bendigo FNL 2017
- Thread starter Stormboy
- Start date
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About a decade ago the Goldfields League (a two divisional relegation system) between the Bendigo and Ballarat leagues was rejected out of hand. This type of competition would have put the powerful clubs into one really interesting division and the weaker ones into another where at least they would not get belted week after week and could start the season with the prospect of playing in finals. This should be at least revisited/discussed. Maybe the Goulburn Valley League could be involved - who knows.
I just think for the BFNL to go along as it is will eventually see the loss of country clubs like Maryborough. If nothing else it would be good to see some discussion - even a simple acknowledgement that not all is well would be a starting point .
Promotion and relegation does not work. The club that wins the lower division and gets promoted in most instances suffers an exodus of players as they do not want to play in the higher division and then bounce back on again.
The current situation is bigger than just one league and one administration. My view is that there are simply too many football clubs trying to draw from an ever decreasing pool of players....Maryborough is probably the perfect example of this issue.
Perhaps those three clubs would be better off in a neighboring league, Flat to Loddon Valley, half their players head there anyway
Provincial
Rookie
- Aug 29, 2017
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- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
Fooy inbendigo would be better suited by a secon division Bendigo league like the old golden City league. Clubs like Marong, north, huntly, white hills, Maiden gully/ycw along with some of the clubs close by to bendigo like Harcourt mount pleasant, Heathcote and Maldon come out of district leagues, Maryborough or Kangaroo flat even come back. Word out of Lv and hdfl is that sides in or near bendogo are gettig screwed ovr by powerful district sides with no support from the hub so may npt take much
Provincial
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- Aug 29, 2017
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- Hawthorn
Whats the huh for
FootballMad
Draftee
- Apr 12, 2017
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- Melbourne
Comparing a similar league in Ballarat, there seems to be some minor differences which has helped the Comp even out a fair bit.
1) They don't have any towns such as Maryborough and Castlemaine which are long distances from Melbourne and have several Minor League teams around them. Daylesford left the league for this very reason. Not sure how these towns can survive, bar try and develop a real solid culture and honoring the MAIN team in town.
2) Sebastopol and Kangaroo Flat seem like similar teams. Both in low-socio-economic status areas. Not judging and love the passion of Sebas but need the right people in charge to be successful. Sebas have this but unfortunate struggle for juniors as a lot don't play or past wrongs has meant some go else where. Recruiting also becomes tough and seems like Kangaroo Flat spend money on the wrong types.
3) Grounds. Players have actually been returning to Ballarat League Clubs over the past couple of years for this fact.
This said all Ballarat Based clubs this year bar probably East really struggled with numbers in there 2's. Central Highlands teams are Brutal, quite often offering reserves players $200 to play.
1) They don't have any towns such as Maryborough and Castlemaine which are long distances from Melbourne and have several Minor League teams around them. Daylesford left the league for this very reason. Not sure how these towns can survive, bar try and develop a real solid culture and honoring the MAIN team in town.
2) Sebastopol and Kangaroo Flat seem like similar teams. Both in low-socio-economic status areas. Not judging and love the passion of Sebas but need the right people in charge to be successful. Sebas have this but unfortunate struggle for juniors as a lot don't play or past wrongs has meant some go else where. Recruiting also becomes tough and seems like Kangaroo Flat spend money on the wrong types.
3) Grounds. Players have actually been returning to Ballarat League Clubs over the past couple of years for this fact.
This said all Ballarat Based clubs this year bar probably East really struggled with numbers in there 2's. Central Highlands teams are Brutal, quite often offering reserves players $200 to play.
You guys with your different opinions have all supported in your own way what I am saying. That is, there should be a discussion about where football is going in the BFNL. However that discussion should be led by its administration, not us. When the Goldfield's proposal was rejected one of the reasons was all the clubs had won a premiership in the last 10 years.That argument was put in the Bendigo Adveriser by Luke West. Clearly it no longer applies, but we hear nothing from the Advertiser these days.
Maybe the traditional stronger clubs can all be grouped together and others like Sebastopol and Kangarrro Flat into another league. Let's hear some talk about it, but not just on social media.
I repeat next year in the BFNL will very much be a repeat of last year and the years before that. The bottom clubs will continue to get belted. This is not good.
Maybe the traditional stronger clubs can all be grouped together and others like Sebastopol and Kangarrro Flat into another league. Let's hear some talk about it, but not just on social media.
I repeat next year in the BFNL will very much be a repeat of last year and the years before that. The bottom clubs will continue to get belted. This is not good.
Then Inglewood & Miti are stuffed
You want a second Bendigo league with teams from in Bendigo, but then to top the league up you want some teams from outside Bendigo like Mounts & Heathcote.... Sounds like what you want is HDFL & LVFL
Perhaps we could call it the Golden City League?
Not sure creating new leagues is the way to go. Maybe creating support for clubs within existing leagues. May have to suggest merger of some clubs , and at worse merging some leagues, but creating new leagues...??
The North Central League amazes me with their player numbers: 4 football teams, 6 netball teams and 3/4 hockey teams. Numbers are there if culture good, but even there some clubs are struggling to hold on.
However imagine Bendigo clubs or Goulburn Valley League trying to support this many teams from towns a quarter of the size.
The North Central League amazes me with their player numbers: 4 football teams, 6 netball teams and 3/4 hockey teams. Numbers are there if culture good, but even there some clubs are struggling to hold on.
However imagine Bendigo clubs or Goulburn Valley League trying to support this many teams from towns a quarter of the size.
Yes
Similar to the Yarra valley mountain district football league
2 divisions with the top two teams from div 2 going up and visa versa
In my opinion it works very well
Yarra Valley only have Premier going up and bottom going down.
Amatuers have 2 up and 2 down.
Oh well there you go then
Forget my input !!
Too Old Too Slow (TOTS)
Debutant
- Jul 2, 2006
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What about this as a radical option. A mates son moved to Sydney to play with Sydney Uni - their comp is radically different.
No reserves but straight divisions, like in Tennis or Premier league soccer. This could mean that
Division 1 would be made of the best Bendigo, HFNL and LVL teams and
Division 2 Stath 2s, Sandhurst 2s and Eaglehawk 2s plus Maryborough, Flat, Maine, North Bendigo, Bridgwater etc and
Division 3 Maryborough reserves, Marong, North Reserves, YCW etc
Divison 4 ....
Division 5 ....
Promotion and relegation each year.
Forget the Division make-up but would this work? While the fixturing would be a nightmare, as it apparently is in Sydney, it may save the Bendigo and regional comps?
I don't mind the lateral thinking of how to change but surely country clubs would lose their tribal nature by not having the whole team, town or place, competing at the same location on a given day. Based on the structure if the premier progresses up you could have Strath Seniors playing Strath reserves in Division 1 at some point.
3rds play at Strath, 2nds play at Maiden Gully and Seniors play QEO means you would only attend to watch the match you want to see and as a club how do you have an inclusive pathways from 3rds to seniors as its fragmented? How do you judge form when you don't see the 2nds pushing for senior selection?
Supporters drop off, gate takings and spend drops and you end up with a game in front of 3 people and a dog. Financially viable? Probably not.
It also changes the whole dynamic of the club. You end up having basically 3 separate clubs.
I dont think it would work but sometimes radical lateral thinking like this is a stating point.
Too Old Too Slow (TOTS)
Debutant
- Jul 2, 2006
- 58
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GG If we look forward the next 10 years what is the future (and ladder position over the next 10 years) of Maryborough, Maine in the BFL, Heathcote, Elmore in HL, Marong, YCW and Inglewood in the LV. Even if all survive they start each season with how can get enough players to field 2 teams and can we win a few games while the same team dominates in each league. Even with the points system introduced we are seeing the strong teams dominate (look at the Premiers of all leagues over the last 10 years) and the week team battle to survive. Something needs to be done to create move even competitions, for both Seniors and Ressies not only around Bendigo but across the state. Winning games build club culture while continuing to lose is cancer.
In the words of Albert Einstein "the definition of insanity is the doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"
Not sure u can lump Marong in that group but I take your point. Leagues and clubs need to think very differently than in the past if they are going to thrive. For me....and I have said this many times. There are too many clubs trying to draw from a dwindling active population. Maryborough is the poster child for this
