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Article in the Leader today confirming a player shortage at Berwick and the rallying of a Dads Army of former champions who are going to play reserves.

What on earth is going on down there? If I had to nominate a club that would never have issues with playing numbers I reckon Berwick would be #1. They have 20+ junior teams and two U19 teams. How on earth can they be short of players?
Sounds a bit like st kilda city last year
 

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Article in the Leader today confirming a player shortage at Berwick and the rallying of a Dads Army of former champions who are going to play reserves.

What on earth is going on down there? If I had to nominate a club that would never have issues with playing numbers I reckon Berwick would be #1. They have 20+ junior teams and two U19 teams. How on earth can they be short of players?
Was a problem last year and has become a bigger issue for 2024 with many fringe players leaving the club for other opportunities elsewhere. Many supporters and players have left the club due to not having any rivalries with eastern clubs and preferring to go elsewhere such as the West Gippsland, Southern and Outer East leagues. Having netball still playing in Outer East isn’t helping either. They (and Beaconsfield) should never have been admitted to Eastern in the first place. Their admission has come at a cost for other clubs who have not been able to be promoted despite premiership success.

I should also add that Berwick and Warrandyte are not the only clubs struggling for numbers. There are a number of clubs in the same situation and their respective situations are not public as yet.
 
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Was a problem last year and has become a bigger issue for 2024 with many fringe players leaving the club for other opportunities elsewhere. Many supporters and players have left the club due to not having any rivalries with eastern clubs and preferring to go elsewhere such as the West Gippsland, Southern and Outer East leagues. Having netball still playing in Outer East isn’t helping either. They (and Beaconsfield) should never have been admitted to Eastern in the first place. Their admission has come at a cost for other clubs who have not been able to be promoted despite premiership success.

I should also add that Berwick and Warrandyte are not the only clubs struggling for numbers. There are a number of clubs in the same situation and their respective situations are not public as yet.

You’ll get no argument from me that their EFNL admission was stupid (from a wider point of view) but I would’ve thought at a club level they were right behind it.

A club of Berwick’s size struggling for numbers is the most absurd situation imaginable. Perhaps it could be a catalyst for the outer south-east to finally be taken seriously and a proper metro league set up.
 
I should also add that Berwick and Warrandyte are not the only clubs struggling for numbers. There are a number of clubs in the same situation and their respective situations are not public as yet.

I saw some teams looked short this week but i thought maybe that was due more to players having issues registering to the new PlayHQ?

Can talk a little about Coldstream and Silvan who have both struggled for 2s numbers in the last few year and both have full sides currently. Both have benefited from Powelltown no doubt but Coldstream has also had 19s which helps. A few years back we had to merge our 2s and vets.
 
This is nothing new as various clubs have struggled for numbers over the past decade if not longer. It happens from time to time for various reasons such as a lot of injuries, departures, retirements, toxicity and the list rolls on. East Burwood a few years ago had Dad's army in the Reserves. Last year due to the amount of injuries they had a few past players playing. They even had an U17 playing in the Reserves. Seniors are the priority, you just have to get by in the Reserves. Swings and Roundabouts.
 
My observations (from looking at scores and not having watched a minute of play)

Norwood are in a world of pain. Their 19s side won’t last long as like Doncaster last season, they’ll have to forfeit to top up their reserves (or the kids will have to play two games)

Doncaster East, jeez. After a prelim last year and that recruiting run, nothing short of a flag is acceptable this year. Pressure will already be on after this loss. Also hit 46 points this week so some managing of points to be done that will lead to some tough decisions. Don’t envy their coach.

Div 1 looks like a good competitive division that should be great to watch.

Div 2 is over already. What a farce after the decision by the league not to promote. Wasted season for everybody. Perhaps one ruined division is an outcome that’s acceptable.

Mulgrave, that’s embarrassing. Some soul searching to be done.

Upper Gully have found their level and are back to being competitive 👏
 

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Pig's arse Div 2 is over. Croydon won comfortably with 15-20 out this week, even though it wasn't a thrashing of Lilydale.
It's true that Boronia this year are like South Belgrave last year which means come grand final day anything can happen.

Agree with you about Upper Gully, it's great they're getting back on track after a few years of bad luck both on and off the field.
 
Pig's arse Div 2 is over. Croydon won comfortably with 15-20 out this week, even though it wasn't a thrashing of Lilydale.
It's true that Boronia this year are like South Belgrave last year which means come grand final day anything can happen.

Agree with you about Upper Gully, it's great they're getting back on track after a few years of bad luck both on and off the field.

Good luck to Croydon but Boronia have just beaten one of last year’s finalists by 20 goals. I’d be comfortable putting my mortgage on them.
 
I just has a look at the Div 1 season thread and its real bare, just wondering if people just come here and talk about all divisions? I was hoping to see someone’s thoughts on Wantirna Souths start to the season, two relatively big losses to Beaconsfield and Park Orchards, are they struggling or are their two opponents just stronger and were expected to finish higher.

Cheers.
 
I just has a look at the Div 1 season thread and its real bare, just wondering if people just come here and talk about all divisions? I was hoping to see someone’s thoughts on Wantirna Souths start to the season, two relatively big losses to Beaconsfield and Park Orchards, are they struggling or are their two opponents just stronger and were expected to finish higher.

Cheers.

All divisions get talked about, really depends whats happening. Div 1 for a long time was the tight division with close scores and upsets weekly, that looks to be over.

Ive spoken about Wanny South before, they are really underachieving as a football club. With all their resources, large following, huge junior set up, they haven't seriously competed since the losing grand final in 2016. They finished 5th in 2019, the first year the top 4 went to a top 5 in Div 1, but were no where near East Ringwood or Mooroolbark.

From the outside looking in it felt like they were a club where they had too many players who were more interested in playing 2s football and sledging opposition in the senior game rather than playing good senior football.

After 2 games it feels like more of the same from Wanny South. This isn't a criticism of their new coach Jason Heffernan who has a really good coaching record, it might take him a year to really see what he has got or needs. And its a long season he might be able to turn it around.
 
Josh Begley an absolute star way too good for Div 2 footy how Upper would love to have him back. Div 2 and Prem are completely different if you lose a couple of your stars in Prem you can still cope. You don’t wish injury on anyone but if Boronia were to lose Begley and Mellis that would bring them right back to the pack.
 
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Yeah it is cr@p, won’t load or loads scores from last thing I viewed

It was annoying last night for sure. Another part i really don't like is the 'Private Player' mode that can be set to hide an identity.
Surely clubs and supporters should be able to see who the opposition players are. For example a private player kicked 4 goals for Silvan yesterday.

Also well done to Nunawading Seniors for beating CNMLOC by 5 goals yesterday with only 16 players.. its round 2 and for the second week in a row a large number of Nunawading senior players haven't registered.

Its not really good enough. The league shouldn't be accepting this. Who knows who is playing for them or how many player points they are worth.
 
Josh Begley an absolute star way too good for Div 2 footy how Upper would love to have him back. Div 2 and Prem are completely different if you lose a couple of your stars in Prem you can still cope. You don’t wish injury on anyone but if Boronia were to lose Begley and Mellis that would bring them right back to the pack.

It'll be a great match up in the round 6 match, Josh Begley v Fraser Smith, a gun full forward versus a gun full back that has made EFNL Div 1 team of the year at least once. Regardless of which team wins, it will be within a 3 goal margin.
 

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