Limestone Coast FL Discussion 2025

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MortlockWatcher said:
You are bang on the money.
My 13-year old son has stopped playing footy after playing it since Auskick as a five-year old.
His reason was that he had played footy for long enough and wasn't enjoying it anymore.
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Sadly I know I am - but I’m perceived as being “negative”.

The true sadness is kids like your lad retire at a young age, having played a million Micky Mouse games…but never actually playing the real thing so to speak and that is a tragedy.

The AFL or Cricket Australia don’t care..they’ve done enough to have them as consumers for life.

Or so they think
 
Compare my son to me. I started at Under 10s and went until midway through Under 14s after my father saw my Year 9 mid year marks.

By the time I finished school, I realised my inabilities as a player so instead volunteered as club field umpire for our club's reserves for a number of years, starting a 30-odd year involvement with the game in almost every match day role imaginable (fill-in player, umpire, runner, reserves coach, assistant coach, water boy timekeeper, scoreboard attendant, canteen helper, commentator, around the grounds reporter, writing articles for football records ... pretty much anything except club doctor and trainer). Nowadays, I am less involved with going to games and getting involved but instead I am researching and writing books about some of the country leagues here in WA.

I can see just through my kids and people slightly older than them that when they quit they aren't getting involved helping around a club.

The bigger problem in the 70s, 80s and 90s was the drop-off between junior and senior football (aged 16 or 17), but some former players still found their way to a local club, either watching or helping out.

I am seeing that drop-out level dropping to 12, 13 or 14 and there will be less of a chance of these people getting involved with clubs at the end of their teens because they are not wired the same way as previous generations.
 
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MortlockWatcher said:
Compare my son to me. I started at Under 10s and went until midway through Under 14s after my father saw my Year 9 mid year marks.

By the time I finished school, I realised my inabilities as a player so instead volunteered as club field umpire for our club's reserves for a number of years, starting a 30-odd year involvement with the game in almost every match day role imaginable except club doctor and trainer. Nowadays, I am less involved with going to games and getting involved but instead I am researching and writing books about some of the country leagues here in WA.

I can see just through my kids and people slightly older than them that when they quit they aren't getting involved helping around a club.

The bigger problem in the 70s, 80s and 90s was the drop-off at the game between junior and senior football (aged 16 or 17), but some former players still found their way to a local club, either watching or helping out.

I am seeing that drop-out level dropping to 12, 13 or 14 and there will be less of a chance of these people getting involved with clubs at the end of their teens because they are not wired the same way as previous generations.
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I grew up in a small country town in Western Vic. Neither of my parents participated in any club sport in my lifetime. I was obsessed with sport.

I played anything and everything.

Cricket and Football were my loves but organised competitions started at Under 16 level so I had to wait. “Mini League” was an informal version of what has become Auskick only better because the lads who ran it could actually play or had been good players. From 9-11.30 every Saturday we did skills for two hours in age groups then played a scratch match game. Usually blue & whites v the rest

During the week there was Basketball, Squash and on Saturday’s Tennis.

When I got to High School or just before it I started playing cricket and then football.

I have played virtually every cricket season since.

I was fortunate to be ok at footy despite my background and got to a reasonable level playing senior football at 16 and playing a couple of seasons in Melbourne before a break of a few years when interstate before eventually playing my last two years back at my original club. I retired at 25 when my club merged with another entity that took my club further away from where I was based. 10 years later I coached juniors and Auskick in the twin that I lived in and 10 years later I started field umpiring in the league that I played in as a kid.

What I am seeing now is a massive drop off in volunteers and increasing demands of juniors.

With the greatest respect we simply do not have the coaches of the requisite quality to teach the kids properly and the need to win overrides any long term aims.

I was lucky to grow up in my time period. I was taught the basics very well. Kids don’t get that these days.
 

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bulldogsbark said:
Why is Naracoorte wishful thinking?, If they want to join what is stopping them
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Boston tiger said:
I’m wondering if it’s more just wishful thinking from the Limestone coast. Definitely Naracoorte is the team that would be the most welcome.
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Totally agree. I think Naracoorte would be a good "get" for the new league, but I'm not seeing it. Unless they can be forced and I don't believe that's how things work. Penola made sense (they were a fringe dweller in the KNT and a former WBFL club to boot). Plus, I believe all kinds of sweeteners were thrown at them so it's no surprise and good luck to them.
 
RudyCt said:
Totally agree. I think Naracoorte would be a good "get" for the new league, but I'm not seeing it. Unless they can be forced and I don't believe that's how things work. Penola made sense (they were a fringe dweller in the KNT and a former WBFL club to boot). Plus, I believe all kinds of sweeteners were thrown at them so it's no surprise and good luck to them.
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Don’t think they would be forced
But Kntfl are made of up something like 150+ players travelling from Adelaide
I assume Penola and Naracoorte are not recruiting from Adelaide so that leaves 150 players from Adelaide feeding 7 clubs
SANFL players make more money playing in the KNTFL
Not sure how sustainable this is
 
Millicent should be coming back to the field with the quality that is going elsewhere where.
West have lost their gun forward in Newton plus young Cornolo has done knee. So they won’t be as dangerous. Picked up a couple though.
South should be heading upwards.
North I think will be pretty much the same … not hearing positive injury reports on their gun forward in Stafford.
Casterton?
Penola?
East … have recruited some quality that may gel well their good crop of juniors.
 
Boston tiger said:
Millicent should be coming back to the field with the quality that is going elsewhere where.
West have lost their gun forward in Newton plus young Cornolo has done knee. So they won’t be as dangerous. Picked up a couple though.
South should be heading upwards.
North I think will be pretty much the same … not hearing positive injury reports on their gun forward in Stafford.
Casterton?
Penola?
East … have recruited some quality that may gel well their good crop of juniors.
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millicent lost a lot of key players having a feeling they may slip, south has a good young team that should be on the rise, west as you said, north unsure, casterton bought in a few small pieces and coaching staff, and Penola seem to be the same, east didn't lose anyone major but has added many mature talents which the club needs with our very young seniors crop
 
Any news around the league boys, follow it from afar and would be good to see this thread fire up.

In 5-10 years time what do you see the league evolving into? Who will be become powerful? Who will be at the bottom? Will anyone join the league or leave the league?

Any word on Robe, Naracoorte joining the league?
 
olly21 said:
Any news around the league boys, follow it from afar and would be good to see this thread fire up.

In 5-10 years time what do you see the league evolving into? Who will be become powerful? Who will be at the bottom? Will anyone join the league or leave the league?

Any word on Robe, Naracoorte joining the league?
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I kinda see the league staying the same i'd say maybe 1-3 more teams, clubs like east and south will be on the rise, while west and millicent will be on the decline, a team like north might be the bottom team, i have a feeling that in 3 years that portland and hamilton will come back, nothing on robe or naracoorte its seeming like a mse team joining is very unlikely but im hopeful one does don't mind the byes though
 

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BigChippa52 said:
I kinda see the league staying the same i'd say maybe 1-3 more teams, clubs like east and south will be on the rise, while west and millicent will be on the decline, a team like north might be the bottom team, i have a feeling that in 3 years that portland and hamilton will come back, nothing on robe or naracoorte its seeming like a mse team joining is very unlikely but im hopeful one does don't mind the byes though
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Out of interest who in the limestone league would have the biggest followings at the games and who of the mount teams have big and small followings?
 
olly21 said:
Out of interest who in the limestone league would have the biggest followings at the games and who of the mount teams have big and small followings?
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north and south are the big ones i'd say, east isn't too bad, west are alright, Millicent is decent, Casterton is getting better
 
BigChippa52 said:
I kinda see the league staying the same i'd say maybe 1-3 more teams, clubs like east and south will be on the rise, while west and millicent will be on the decline, a team like north might be the bottom team, i have a feeling that in 3 years that portland and hamilton will come back, nothing on robe or naracoorte its seeming like a mse team joining is very unlikely but im hopeful one does don't mind the byes though
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I reckon both Hamilton & Portland should be front and centre in the eyes of the Limestone Coast league for the future. Question will be would those clubs want to come over to an SA based league? How would it help them? Hamilton just got a ton of money to upgrade their oval ... I'm not sure if that was Federal or State $'s. If from the Vic Govt ... does that kind of thing come with strings attached (i.e. they need to be playing in a Vic-based league)?

The MidSE clubs have amazing solidarity to preserve their league and good on them for that.

Naracoorte is interesting in that they are probably the perfect size town for the Limestone Coast but I'm not seeing it. They are a foundation member of both the KNT league and before that, the old KNFL back in the days of Apsley & Edenhope as separate clubs, Minimay (not Goroke) as part of Borders, etc. Plus Naracoorte folks are likely not too keen on schlepping down to Mt Gambier every 2 weeks even if they do have a Kmart down there!
Right now with a bye in each of the 3 league (Limestone Coast, MidSE KNT) ... it's probably not a bad setup in this day and age.
 
RudyCt said:
I reckon both Hamilton & Portland should be front and centre in the eyes of the Limestone Coast league for the future. Question will be would those clubs want to come over to an SA based league? How would it help them? Hamilton just got a ton of money to upgrade their oval ... I'm not sure if that was Federal or State $'s. If from the Vic Govt ... does that kind of thing come with strings attached (i.e. they need to be playing in a Vic-based league)?

The MidSE clubs have amazing solidarity to preserve their league and good on them for that.

Naracoorte is interesting in that they are probably the perfect size town for the Limestone Coast but I'm not seeing it. They are a foundation member of both the KNT league and before that, the old KNFL back in the days of Apsley & Edenhope as separate clubs, Minimay (not Goroke) as part of Borders, etc. Plus Naracoorte folks are likely not too keen on schlepping down to Mt Gambier every 2 weeks even if they do have a Kmart down there!
Right now with a bye in each of the 3 league (Limestone Coast, MidSE KNT) ... it's probably not a bad setup in this day and age.
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we had a crack portland was keen but due to travel a bunch of old people voted no so that stopped, hamilton said no for that exact reason and they are on the rise unlike portland, i don't see narracourte in the lcfl, i don't mind the bye, still wish tarpeena was around
 
BigChippa52 said:
we had a crack portland was keen but due to travel a bunch of old people voted no so that stopped, hamilton said no for that exact reason and they are on the rise unlike portland, i don't see narracourte in the lcfl, i don't mind the bye, still wish tarpeena was around
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Don’t know where you’re getting your mail from but Portland will be as good as if not better than Hamilton this year. I cannot see a scenario where they ever head back across the Border.
 
western royboy said:
Don’t know where you’re getting your mail from but Portland will be as good as if not better than Hamilton this year. I cannot see a scenario where they ever head back across the Border.
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I've been keeping tabs, last season portland went winless while Hamilton won 4 games which was better than the season before while Portland won one game. The other team based in the Portland Westerns did significantly better, winning 10 games after going winless the previous season. I just don't know about Portland I knew that the WBFL now LCFL, and the SANFL had conversations with both clubs with Portland keen at first. I don't know with Portland they just seem to be in a hole and are struggling to compete in the stronger league and being in the weaker LCFL might be better. I don't think it will happen but if Portland continues to be shit with the new LCFL looking for more teams and Casterton-Sandford pushing the idea of a few more Vic teams it could happen. I'm unsure how recruitments have been I hope for the best but looking at it portland looks to be in a worse situation than my club East is in, it also doesn't seem like young men around my age 18-23 don't care in portland if they do they are playing for westerns, travel could be a factor and work also
 
BigChippa52 said:
I've been keeping tabs, last season portland went winless while Hamilton won 4 games which was better than the season before while Portland won one game. The other team based in the Portland Westerns did significantly better, winning 10 games after going winless the previous season. I just don't know about Portland I knew that the WBFL now LCFL, and the SANFL had conversations with both clubs with Portland keen at first. I don't know with Portland they just seem to be in a hole and are struggling to compete in the stronger league and being in the weaker LCFL might be better. I don't think it will happen but if Portland continues to be shit with the new LCFL looking for more teams and Casterton-Sandford pushing the idea of a few more Vic teams it could happen. I'm unsure how recruitments have been I hope for the best but looking at it portland looks to be in a worse situation than my club East is in, it also doesn't seem like young men around my age 18-23 don't care in portland if they do they are playing for westerns, travel could be a factor and work also
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Travel has to be a real issue for Portland & Hamilton either way. Someone will know more than me, but it looks slightly easier (i.e. less travelling) if they play in the Limestone Coast league although not by a whole lot. On the other side there is the prestige of playing in a top rated Vic league vs. Limestone Coast which is a bit of an unknown. I hope for Portland's sake they can pick themselves up. They do seem to be having a crack recruiting-wise for 2025 based on what you can see on Facebook. Obviously it was needed after 2024!
 
RudyCt said:
Travel has to be a real issue for Portland & Hamilton either way. Someone will know more than me, but it looks slightly easier (i.e. less travelling) if they play in the Limestone Coast league although not by a whole lot. On the other side there is the prestige of playing in a top rated Vic league vs. Limestone Coast which is a bit of an unknown. I hope for Portland's sake they can pick themselves up. They do seem to be having a crack recruiting-wise for 2025 based on what you can see on Facebook. Obviously it was needed after 2024!
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There are negatives and postives either way, portland and hamilton would be able to have a real crack in the lcfl compared to the hampden, not to mention its good for casterton-sandford having more vic teams, i think thats why westerns are doing better because its a lot less travel and places are closer in the swdfl and easier for players to do well due to it being a weaker league
 
I know from speaking to Portland people, they prefer to be in the Hampden even if they struggle. It's better for juniors especially with the top talent playing for the Rebels in Ballarat. It's better to play sport in your own state nowadays even if it's not as practical.

Can't see Naracoorte wanting to play down in the Mount when our league is going better than LCFL. The local rivalries mean more than playing any Mount Gambier sides. If we were in Victoria then Naracoorte would have a 'district' league with all of the farming clubs and there would be a Naracoorte team in the LCFL but it doesn't work like that as much here.

Robe might be the only Mid SE town that actually grows in the future but the location isn't convenient for LCFL or KNTFL.

Don't want to see it happen but in 10 years time we might see a few Mid SE clubs merge and join the LCFL, hopefully not anytime soon!
 
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if population rises as more homes are being built in that direction, i can see all clubs being fine with the possibely of tarpeena making a comeback, more population growth means more clubs and more numbers, none of the clubs went winless and good for nangas as they have a lot of good juinors like my club does, im unusre who i see folding or mergering as those clubs are stubborn and will always been compettive they done enough to stay alive for this long the will continue to do so
 

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Limestone Coast FL Discussion 2025

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