New Leagues for North-East Victoria?

[JOHNNY GASTEV]

After the folding of the Benalla league a number of O and K clubs haven't been rapt about the former BDFL clubs joining the comp, particularly in regard to distance for teams to travel, Bright and Boonie Doon are the ones that will struggle the most.

The Upper Murray league has struggled over the last few years to field 2nd and junior sides regularly. I have done 3 mock leagues that would lessen travel distance and help increase player participation across the 2'nd and 3rd grades. Clubs would sacrifice rivalries but in this day and age clubs are merging or going under so many ego's particularly from long time club officials clinging to the past.

The North Eastern League (10 teams)
*Bright
*Yackandandah
*Beechworth
*Chiltern
*Rutherglen
*North Wang
*Barnawartha
*Tarrawingee
*Whorouly
*Wahgunyah

The Albury/Wodonga League (10 teams)
*Mitta
*Wodonga Saints
*Tallangatta
*Corryong/Federal Merger
*Cudgewa/Walwa Merger
*Thurgoona
*Murray Magpies (Moving from the Hume league)
*Bullioh
*Kiewa-Sandy Creek
*Dederang-Mt.Beauty

The Wangaratta and District League (10 teams)
*Greta
*Bonnie Doon
*Tatong
*King Valley
*Glenrowan
*Goorambat
*Benalla All Blacks
*Milawa
*Swampool
*Moyhu

Tumbarumba would move to the Farrer league where they have a greater chance of recruiting players out of Wagga and keeping their juniors from going to higher standard comps.

Wahgunyah still have a couple of long trips but the bulk of the teams they play against now are in the TDFL and after playing against Coly and Jerilderie in the old Coreen league travel wouldn't be strange to them. Their other option would be to join the Hume league.

Overall though, these three new leagues would shorten most teams trips to opposition venues, while the mergers would provide greater playing numbers for senior and junior sides. The three comps could be run under one umbrella (eg. Football North-East). Any ones thoughts out there???

 

[hansie]

Not bad!

 

[The Toecutter]

I'd love to see the Bullioh vs Tallangatta game, that would be a nice rivalry to get up and running in the new league.

Is Tumba good enough to be competitive in the Farrer league???

 

[Demon85]

Interesting reading in today's Weekly Times that the VCFL predicts that up to 10 leagues will fold/merge within the next decade and that smaller ones are the most likely to go. I wonder what this means to us folks in the Upper Murray??? I'd hate to see us have merge with Feds!!!!

 

[The Toecutter]

After reading today about the possible demise of Border/Walwa I think the North East hub/UMFL may have to consider doing something along those lines.

 

[Blues 4 life]

After reading today about the possible demise of Border/Walwa I think the North East hub/UMFL may have to consider doing something along those lines.

Sad but true Toecutter but they will wait till a few clubs dye off until something is done

Restructure all N/E football leagues is badly needed and what "Johnny Gastev" wrote back in 2009 on here is right on the money

 

[JOHNNY GASTEV]

A decade late but more relevant than ever

 

[The Toecutter]

A decade late but more relevant than ever

Another missed opportunity again I'd say, they won't get many more chances.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

Somehow, the UMFL still has a pulse.

 

[Old Kenny]

Somehow, the UMFL still has a pulse.

The OP still has merit. But I think the time has passed for a whole Corryong area merge. Cudgewa will go on their own if something happens. Wahgunyah forfeiting the twos tomorrow. If they shut down which club will be the first to jump into their spot? Corryong have won one senior game and three seconds games in two years. It can’t keep going on like that.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

From the original three leagues of 10 clubs, we have since lost Glenrowan, Swanpool and Tatong. (down to 27)

Benalla All Blacks and Wahgunyah may struggle to survive over the next few years (down to 25)

No need to factor in the Corryong/Federal or Cudgewa/Walwa mergers or Bullioh as the UM clubs are doing terrific impersonations of kamakazi pilots and would rather see football die in the area than create a unified club for the betterment of the region into the future.

So we have already lost the equivalent of one of those leagues and are down to 22 clubs:

Barnawartha
Beechworth
Bonnie Doon
Bright
Chiltern
Dederang-Mt.Beauty
Goorambat
Greta
Kiewa-Sandy Creek
King Valley
Milawa
Mitta
Moyhu
Murray Magpies (from the Hume league)
North Wang
Rutherglen
Tallangatta
Tarrawingee
Thurgoona
Whorouly
Wodonga Saints
Yackandandah

Problem is how long will there be 22. For the rest of the decade, we will experience a phase statewide where clubs and leagues will be forced to merge to survive or else they will fold. There won't be 22 at the end of the decade.

 

[Old Kenny]

Without nit-picking not all clubs in the Upper Murray were against a merger.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

Agreed. Problem is that the clubs holding out and refusing change are the ones that will ruin it for everyone in the end.

 

[Demon85]

Without nit-picking not all clubs in the Upper Murray were against a merger.

Put the Murray Magpies, Wodonga Saint’s in the league and it has some credibility. A Baranduda club would even look good.

 

[Old Kenny]

Put the Murray Magpies, Wodonga Saint’s in the league and it has some credibility. A Baranduda club would even look good.

It’s been a long time Demon. What we need is for clubs to adhere to a reasonable salary cap before we ask more clubs to join. And a revised junior set up too.

 

[Demon85]

It’s been a long time Demon. What we need is for clubs to adhere to a reasonable salary cap before we ask more clubs to join. And a revised junior set up too.

Suggestions for the juniors?

 

[Old Kenny]

Suggestions for the juniors?

It’s the million dollar question. All the Corryong kids need to be playing together wherever it is. Having them spread across 3-4 different leagues/teams isn’t good for the development of the kids or the community.

 

[Demon85]

It’s the million dollar question. All the Corryong kids need to be playing together wherever it is. Having them spread across 3-4 different leagues/teams isn’t good for the development of the kids or the community.

Half of Feds propping up Tallangatta doesn’t help

 

[Old Kenny]

Half of Feds propping up Tallangatta doesn’t help

So there supposed to come back and play 8-10 a side back in the upper Murray?