Northern Football League Division 2 - Part IV

[underbelly]

An open letter the the NFL that requires an explanation :

Can you please inform the public how you intend in finalising the
"revised draw" for the remaining 5 rounds ?

Your website is inconclusive on how this is going to occur

The top eight clubs on the Division 2 'A' Grade Ladder at the completion of Round 13 will remain in Division 2 and will contest a revised draw for the remaining Five (5) Home and Away Rounds.

Easy mathematics for the proposed D3 draw. This is very clear
and concise and you don't need to be Albert Einstein to work this out

The remaining six clubs will form a provisional Division 3 competition and will play each other in the final Five (5) Home and Away Rounds.

We have heard that the D2 revised draw will be picked out of a hat !
Sounds like you have no idea on how to make this fair & reasonable for
all the concerned teams.

Can you please enlighted us all on the following :

Who will be holding the hat ?
What colour will the hat be ?
Is there a rabbit in the hat ?
Will there be an assistant wearing a bikini ?
Is the magic wand really magic ?

If you feel you can answer our concerns, please feel free to post these on the NFL website or even in this weeks record.

Kindest regards
UB

 

[oldtimer]

It is a messy situation at present with no one really knowing what is going to happen. It is a shame we dont have enough teams to form a division 3 as it can only be a good thing. Without wanting to have a go at the bottom teams in division 3, the gap seems to grow bigger every season between the top and bottom teams. It must be very difficult to motivate yourself to train and play when it is almost inevitable that you are going to get beaten. This cant be good for club morale, attracting supporters, sponsors, etc. With a division 3 it will obviously reduce this massive gulf between teams and be more beneficial all round. And if clubs dont like it, well then there is a solution. Develop your club so that it is good enough to win division 2 and earn promotion.

The Eastern League is probably the most professionally run metropolitan league in Melbourne and it functions well with 4 divisions. So if there are enough teams available, it seems like the right way to go.

I would say that the ammos are with 7 senior divisions, 5 under 19 divisions and 4 Club 18 Divisions. Clubs like West Heidelberg would be better off in d4 in the ammos than continuing to play in Div 2 of the NFL. If the NFL are unsure of whether a div 3 is going to go ahead or not then how can clubs plan for future direction, etc. Clubs in Div 2 don't even know who they are playing in 2 weeks time. How are they supposed to organise lunches, functions, etc when they don't even know where and who they are playing. Last week in 7 games in Div 2 - 3 were won by over 150 and 1 by more than 100. Surely not a good advertisement for the league.

 

[latemail]

Surely that's why we must have a third division. To avoid these fall overs.

1 Sponsors are more likely to come on board with a winning side
2 More of your supporters will go if they think they have a chance of winning
The bottom 6 is exactly the same as it was at the end of 2008
3rd division should have come in at the start of this season
Can you imagine a competitive side having the troubles that some of the lower sides are experiencing now after getting flogged week after week.
A third division will decrease these floggings and make some of the lower clubs a happier place to be.

I agree with everything you have said, i'm all for a 3rd division. My point being that the NFL openly sate this will not happen if only 6 teams are going to play in it.

I personally would have bit the bullet halfway through last season and told all 24 (senior) clubs that there will be 3 divisions of 8. I realise this would have meant that 3 clubs get relegated from div 1 with the div 2 premier (macleod apparently) to be promoted. The division 1 clubs would not be happy but the NFL brief is to run the competition not just Div 1.

 

[matchwinner]

I would say that the ammos are with 7 senior divisions, 5 under 19 divisions and 4 Club 18 Divisions. Clubs like West Heidelberg would be better off in d4 in the ammos than continuing to play in Div 2 of the NFL. If the NFL are unsure of whether a div 3 is going to go ahead or not then how can clubs plan for future direction, etc. Clubs in Div 2 don't even know who they are playing in 2 weeks time. How are they supposed to organise lunches, functions, etc when they don't even know where and who they are playing. Last week in 7 games in Div 2 - 3 were won by over 150 and 1 by more than 100. Surely not a good advertisement for the league.

Yeh also seems to be run very professionally. I was referring more to the metropolitan leagues assigned to each region.

 

[Ossie]

I agree with everything you have said, i'm all for a 3rd division. My point being that the NFL openly sate this will not happen if only 6 teams are going to play in it.

I personally would have bit the bullet halfway through last season and told all 24 (senior) clubs that there will be 3 divisions of 8. I realise this would have meant that 3 clubs get relegated from div 1 with the div 2 premier (macleod apparently) to be promoted. The division 1 clubs would not be happy but the NFL brief is to run the competition not just Div 1.

Personally have no problem with 3 x 8
It probably won't happen
My understanding about Div 3 is NFL want it
The objections are coming from soon to be Div 3 clubs
We can only hope they will soon see the benefits over egos

 

[DMac012]

Personally have no problem with 3 x 8
It probably won't happen
My understanding about Div 3 is NFL want it
The objections are coming from soon to be Div 3 clubs
We can only hope they will soon see the benefits over egos

These would be the same clubs that protested last season at the inclusion of Div 3 for the start of this season and propossed the convoluted system that the NFL bent over too.

 

[Kickass]

I agree with everything you have said, i'm all for a 3rd division. My point being that the NFL openly sate this will not happen if only 6 teams are going to play in it.

I personally would have bit the bullet halfway through last season and told all 24 (senior) clubs that there will be 3 divisions of 8. I realise this would have meant that 3 clubs get relegated from div 1 with the div 2 premier (macleod apparently) to be promoted. The division 1 clubs would not be happy but the NFL brief is to run the competition not just Div 1.

Of what benefit would 3 Divisions each of 8 sides have?

Sure it is nicely mathematical to split 8 /8/8 but then to try and keep all divisions happy you would have to either reduce season to 14 H&A games (each side plays each other twice) or increase to 21 H&A (each side plays each other 3 times).

Then the bitching and screaming starts again because some teams will have more home games than away games against certain clubs so Fixture becomes compromised.

Of course you could stick with 18 h&a games, but then you will play 4 teams at least 2 times each and 4 teams 3 times each. - AGain Bitching and screaming. Again fixture becomes compromised.

Therefore best to leave Div 1 with 10 teams and as for Div2 or Div 3 - Who gives a Fat Rats Flying Toss Bag. Play with what you've got or **** off to another league.

 

[latemail]

Of what benefit would 3 Divisions each of 8 sides have?

Sure it is nicely mathematical to split 8 /8/8 but then to try and keep all divisions happy you would have to either reduce season to 14 H&A games (each side plays each other twice) or increase to 21 H&A (each side plays each other 3 times).

Then the bitching and screaming starts again because some teams will have more home games than away games against certain clubs so Fixture becomes compromised.

Of course you could stick with 18 h&a games, but then you will play 4 teams at least 2 times each and 4 teams 3 times each. - AGain Bitching and screaming. Again fixture becomes compromised.

Therefore best to leave Div 1 with 10 teams and as for Div2 or Div 3 - Who gives a Fat Rats Flying Toss Bag. Play with what you've got or **** off to another league.

That's a bit rich coming from a club who was in Div 2 not all that long ago and managed to retain there place in Div 1 by promising Coaches & Players money that you were never able to pay. I'm tipping the Harp of Erin styed on knowing if they didn't the doors would have been shut along with all hope of the high 5 figure sum they were/are owed.
Just hope your able to pay Hayesy what you signed him for, too good a bloke to be bent over by a club with priors....

 

[Ossie]

That's a bit rich coming from a club who was in Div 2 not all that long ago and managed to retain there place in Div 1 by promising Coaches & Players money that you were never able to pay. I'm tipping the Harp of Erin styed on knowing if they didn't the doors would have been shut along with all hope of the high 5 figure sum they were/are owed.
Just hope your able to pay Hayesy what you signed him for, too good a bloke to be bent over by a club with priors....

Amen Brother

 

[ROMPERMFC]

Of what benefit would 3 Divisions each of 8 sides have?

Sure it is nicely mathematical to split 8 /8/8 but then to try and keep all divisions happy you would have to either reduce season to 14 H&A games (each side plays each other twice) or increase to 21 H&A (each side plays each other 3 times).

Then the bitching and screaming starts again because some teams will have more home games than away games against certain clubs so Fixture becomes compromised.

Of course you could stick with 18 h&a games, but then you will play 4 teams at least 2 times each and 4 teams 3 times each. - AGain Bitching and screaming. Again fixture becomes compromised.

Therefore best to leave Div 1 with 10 teams and as for Div2 or Div 3 - Who gives a Fat Rats Flying Toss Bag. Play with what you've got or **** off to another league.

Could your bitching be because if there were 3 divisions of 8 then Eltham would be back down in divvy 2??

 

[ROMPERMFC]

JC must have been reading... again..., NFL having meeting monday night to draw the remaining games...

 

[In The Bleaches]

It is a messy situation at present with no one really knowing what is going to happen. It is a shame we dont have enough teams to form a division 3 as it can only be a good thing. Without wanting to have a go at the bottom teams in division 3, the gap seems to grow bigger every season between the top and bottom teams. It must be very difficult to motivate yourself to train and play when it is almost inevitable that you are going to get beaten. This cant be good for club morale, attracting supporters, sponsors, etc. With a division 3 it will obviously reduce this massive gulf between teams and be more beneficial all round. And if clubs dont like it, well then there is a solution. Develop your club so that it is good enough to win division 2 and earn promotion.

The Eastern League is probably the most professionally run metropolitan league in Melbourne and it functions well with 4 divisions. So if there are enough teams available, it seems like the right way to go.

Totally agree.I have watched Morang get belted by 20 to 30 goals each week this season and i don't know how Heildelberg West supporters do it year to year! Two years ago Morang had all 3 teams( seniors,ressies and 19s) make the finals, a first for the club but with all the continuous departures of good players(for what ever reason),seems to be an occurring theme there ,its a big fall in 2 years to how the club is today and it does seem to be the same 6 or so teams in the bottom half, now and then one will make a push up the ladder without threatening. D3 will give these clubs a chance to rebuild and a win is a win in football no matter who you play, i for one would rather watch a competitive game(regardless of the skill level) and waking up sat morning looking forward to a contest instead of wondering will we get beat by 20 or 30 today,goals! If thats where the club is right now then thats where it is, try rebuild and its not as if your will be banished to D3 for good, the premier will go upto D2 each year, don't see all the fuss really,if thats where your club is at the moment then everyone should just suck it up and get on with it!

 

[Kickass]

Could your bitching be because if there were 3 divisions of 8 then Eltham would be back down in divvy 2??

Nothing to do with where Eltham is at mate.

But really 3 x 8 team competitions would be an absolute joke. Might as well 2 x 12 team comps. But either way Macleod would shit themselves and want to play in the lower Div aain.

 

[The hurricane]

Totally agree.I have watched Morang get belted by 20 to 30 goals each week this season and i don't know how Heildelberg West supporters do it year to year! Two years ago Morang had all 3 teams( seniors,ressies and 19s) make the finals, a first for the club but with all the continuous departures of good players(for what ever reason),seems to be an occurring theme there ,its a big fall in 2 years to how the club is today and it does seem to be the same 6 or so teams in the bottom half, now and then one will make a push up the ladder without threatening. D3 will give these clubs a chance to rebuild and a win is a win in football no matter who you play, i for one would rather watch a competitive game(regardless of the skill level) and waking up sat morning looking forward to a contest instead of wondering will we get beat by 20 or 30 today,goals! If thats where the club is right now then thats where it is, try rebuild and its not as if your will be banished to D3 for good, the premier will go upto D2 each year, don't see all the fuss really,if thats where your club is at the moment then everyone should just suck it up and get on with it!

Good call I.T.B, I have, in the distant past, been a senior commitee member at SMFC and have watched its sad demise over the last few years. I do know of some past players and commitee people that would love to again commit to the club, but sadly this would never happen whilst the current regime rules.

 

[Blommy]

If results go as per expectations, then the only change in the top 8 shall be Fitzroy Stars moving into 4th at Epping's expense.

As for what to do with the draw, if there is any idea of how to compose a draw, then something along the lines of my earlier suggestion should work:

Have the team that finishes 1st play 3rd 7th 5th 2nd 8th
Have the team that finishes 2nd play 4th 6th 8th 1st 7th
Have the team that finishes 3rd play 1st 5th 7th 4th 6th
Have the team that finishes 4th play 2nd 8th 6th 3rd 5th
Have the team that finishes 5th play 7th 3rd 1st 6th 4th
Have the team that finishes 6th play 8th 2nd 4th 5th 3rd
Have the team that finishes 7th play 5th 1st 3rd 8th 2nd
Have the team that finishes 8th play 6th 4th 2nd 7th 1st

Match the home and aways as best as possible and viola!


Try to make sure that teams that have played 6 home matches get 3 home games on the way home and that the matches are played at the alternate venue to which they were last time if possible...

 

[underbelly]

Nothing to do with where Eltham is at mate.

But really 3 x 8 team competitions would be an absolute joke. Might as well 2 x 12 team comps. But either way Macleod would shit themselves and want to play in the lower Div aain.

Just remember, Macleod's only flag came at the expense of your club.

You love throwing shit that don't stick and it tends to arrive when
you have avoided relegation.

I bet if you were sitting in 10th spot then you would keep your big trap shut. Even though it was only a practice game, you would have had
your pie on your gob at half time thinking what a long season you had ahead of yourselves.

 

[slasher25]

I don't understand your logic behind this. Why should no team have to play Macleod or Diamond Creek twice ?

Do you mean no team should have to play both Diamond Creek & Macleod
in the last 5 rounds ? I'm pretty sure that's what you mean.

Thats exactly what I mean Mr Underbelly

 

[FinalsTilt]

Good call I.T.B, I have, in the distant past, been a senior commitee member at SMFC and have watched its sad demise over the last few years. I do know of some past players and commitee people that would love to again commit to the club, but sadly this would never happen whilst the current regime rules.

Whisper gathering momentum is that a ticket is being organised to rid Sth Morang of Jimmy.......current player's father to lead ticket and entice back former major sponsor !!!

 

[Clutch L]

Then maybe Diamond Creek and Macleod should play each other 5 times and the rest play for 4th with Mernda having 3 byes??

Every year until now it has been a lopsided draw with one team perhaps running into Fitzroy, Mernda, Whittlesea twice, while another may play Reservoir, Wallan, Kinglake.

In the end the footy will sort itself out. With only 8 clubs left - you need to beat the others to deserve to play finals.

Out of a hat - draw as described by Blommy - dont care just want to see a more competitive brand of football than the crap that went on last round.

 

[underbelly]

Whisper gathering momentum is that a ticket is being organised to rid Sth Morang of Jimmy.......current player's father to lead ticket and entice back former major sponsor !!!

Maybe you could reunite Barry Hall with Luffy.....

 

[yourkidding]

looks as though whittlesea are determined to go down the same path as last year.burning the home grown talent.when will the club realise they are moving further and further behind.they will lose more players at seasons end.

 

[latemail]

looks as though whittlesea are determined to go down the same path as last year.burning the home grown talent.when will the club realise they are moving further and further behind.they will lose more players at seasons end.

Care to expand? I was under the impression that a lot of there u/19 players have had a taste of senior footy already this season.

 

[Stude289]

Then maybe Diamond Creek and Macleod should play each other 5 times and the rest play for 4th with Mernda having 3 byes??

Every year until now it has been a lopsided draw with one team perhaps running into Fitzroy, Mernda, Whittlesea twice, while another may play Reservoir, Wallan, Kinglake.

In the end the footy will sort itself out. With only 8 clubs left - you need to beat the others to deserve to play finals.

Out of a hat - draw as described by Blommy - dont care just want to see a more competitive brand of football than the crap that went on last round.

Ok we will take the 3 bye's as long as the other 2 games are against 7th and 8th

 

[Stude289]

Creek by 30 points
H'bridge by 2 points
Mernda by 36 points
macleod by 150 points
Reservior by 20 points
Stars by 150 points
W'sea by 12 points

 

[Stude289]

Do we know which ground Mernda will be playing Macleod in this years Grand Final at ?