Wimmera League 2024

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Masterclass06 said:
Sorry mate there is a huge gap between both comps.
HB wouldn’t make the 5 in WFL.
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Did I say anything about the relative standard of the two leagues?
My comment was related to other issues as detailed in subsequent posts.
If you've bothered to read those posts, or anything else I've posted, you'll note that I've never participated in slagging leagues off based on their supposed standard. I've bagged clubs whose culture I think is poor but not league standards.
 
Grimmett said:
Did I say anything about the relative standard of the two leagues?
My comment was related to other issues as detailed in subsequent posts.
If you've bothered to read those posts, or anything else I've posted, you'll note that I've never participated in slagging leagues off based on their supposed standard. I've bagged clubs whose culture I think is poor but not league standards.
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Yes fair enough but your original post was “ a merger between 2 league beckons”
Before clarifying your post !
Yes you have some good points.
But I feel that gap between the 2 is probably getting greater.
Without a doubt as you have stated overhaul/change most likely for all country footy is well overdue.
Getting it to happen is a whole new problem.
A change structure committee with geographically selected country football driven people would be a start.
 

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Grimmett said:
Will Harrow Balmoral head off to the South West DFL?
Can Nhill and Dimboola survive?
Would Ararat consider the Ballarat league now that the grounds down there are elite and Melton South is leaving?
If Ararat left, would Stawell follow?
How long will Kaniva Leeor Utd stay?
Can Edenhope Apsley survive?
How long can the city of Horsham continue to supply sufficient players to keep two WFL clubs plus Kalkee, Pimpinio, Laharum, Taylors Lake, Natimuk United and Noradjuha Quantong going?
Can Rupanyup and Minyip Murtoa survive or do they need to merge?
For those who want to bury their head in the sand and ignore the possibility of some of these events occurring, remember that Homers won a HDFL flag in 1992 and Minyip won the WFL premiership.
By the end of 1995 Minyip was merging with Murtoa and Homers folded in 1999. Not many people were predicting that in 1992.
Things will change but will the clubs' administrations get ahead of the issue like Jeparit, Rainbow, Hopetoun and Beulah or die like so many unfortunately have.
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Well here's my uninformed answers to a few.

Will Harrow Balmoral head off to the South West DFL?
Their seniors would be even more successful and it might be easier to get juniors out of Hamilton. Interesting club with Harrow being the Wimmera and Balmoral being the Western District. However a proud club like the Southern Roos would probably not want to go down a level.

Would Ararat consider the Ballarat league now that the grounds down there are elite and Melton South is leaving?
It seems like the BFL prefers clubs closer to Melbourne and they might even get some of the Bendigo teams if there's more unrest there

Can Nhill and Dimboola survive? How long will Kaniva Leeor Utd stay?
Wouldn't surprise me if they all merged together one day like Southern Mallee, hopefully not any time soon!

How long can the city of Horsham continue to supply sufficient players to keep two WFL clubs plus Kalkee, Pimpinio, Laharum, Taylors Lake, Natimuk United and Noradjuha Quantong going?
I suppose the possible mergers there would be Pimpinio and Kalkee, Natimuk and NQ, Laharum and Taylors Lake. It seems like the latter is most likely, once again I hope it's not soon.
 
Masterclass06 said:
Sorry mate there is a huge gap between both comps.
HB wouldn’t make the 5 in WFL.
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The current Horsham Saints reserves would play HDFL finals.

Thanks for the educated debate also. Much better discussions than the dribble from the 15 year olds of late.

On SM-S911B using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
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Grimmett, to your point earlier as well about the change between leagues for the 40 years after WWII and then the 40 years since, I think it's often missed that both Dimboola and Nhill benefited from other clubs folding in that time. Gerang-Kiata is the most obvious, as that split players and supporters between the two, but there was also Netherby-Lorquon which gave Nhill a number of families which are still involved, and before that there was Winiam. If you look at the strength of Harrow-Balmoral, they draw from Pigeon Ponds families as much as the old DHML clubs and Balmoral. Unfortunately, not all of the old clubs can still be recognised by name anymore.

As for league strength, the WFNL had a very even year this year. The two best teams have made it through, but the next three or four were not far off the pace. I think a HB team at full strength, while maybe not quite as strong as the Giants team that went through to the Grand Final after moving from the HDFNL, they would comfortably fit into the third to sixth range in this year's competition. The Saint's twos, likewise, wouldn't be too shabby at all in the HDFNL. They remind me of the Minyip-Murtoa twos from not that long ago. Put them in the HDFNL and I think they'd also feature in that third to sixth range.

On another note, a very close Toohey count last night. Literally came down to the last round which was Stawell vs Ararat.
 
jwshrive said:
Grimmett, to your point earlier as well about the change between leagues for the 40 years after WWII and then the 40 years since, I think it's often missed that both Dimboola and Nhill benefited from other clubs folding in that time. Gerang-Kiata is the most obvious, as that split players and supporters between the two, but there was also Netherby-Lorquon which gave Nhill a number of families which are still involved, and before that there was Winiam. If you look at the strength of Harrow-Balmoral, they draw from Pigeon Ponds families as much as the old DHML clubs and Balmoral. Unfortunately, not all of the old clubs can still be recognised by name anymore.

As for league strength, the WFNL had a very even year this year. The two best teams have made it through, but the next three or four were not far off the pace. I think a HB team at full strength, while maybe not quite as strong as the Giants team that went through to the Grand Final after moving from the HDFNL, they would comfortably fit into the third to sixth range in this year's competition. The Saint's twos, likewise, wouldn't be too shabby at all in the HDFNL. They remind me of the Minyip-Murtoa twos from not that long ago. Put them in the HDFNL and I think they'd also feature in that third to sixth range.

On another note, a very close Toohey count last night. Literally came down to the last round which was Stawell vs Ararat.
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Absolutely jwshrive. No doubt that in some parts of the region the district clubs have survived and the major league clubs have had to merge while in other areas its been the district clubs that have disappeared.
Look up the old West Wimmera and Lowan Star leagues and discover the little communities that once had footy clubs and now are almost unpopulated. Isn't the Ouyen United club the result of about 14 clubs merging over time?
I think most years the best WFL Reserves team would make finals in the HDFL but I equally think that the best HDFL Seniors team would probably be around fifth or sixth in the WFL.
Part of the beauty of bush footy is the different leagues and standards that allow everybody to find the club and level they want to be at.
I hope the WFL and HDFL can survive as independent leagues but, at the very least, I foresee them both being eight team leagues at the most.
 
Munners said:
Well here's my uninformed answers to a few.

Will Harrow Balmoral head off to the South West DFL?
Their seniors would be even more successful and it might be easier to get juniors out of Hamilton. Interesting club with Harrow being the Wimmera and Balmoral being the Western District. However a proud club like the Southern Roos would probably not want to go down a level.

Would Ararat consider the Ballarat league now that the grounds down there are elite and Melton South is leaving?
It seems like the BFL prefers clubs closer to Melbourne and they might even get some of the Bendigo teams if there's more unrest there

Can Nhill and Dimboola survive? How long will Kaniva Leeor Utd stay?
Wouldn't surprise me if they all merged together one day like Southern Mallee, hopefully not any time soon!

How long can the city of Horsham continue to supply sufficient players to keep two WFL clubs plus Kalkee, Pimpinio, Laharum, Taylors Lake, Natimuk United and Noradjuha Quantong going?
I suppose the possible mergers there would be Pimpinio and Kalkee, Natimuk and NQ, Laharum and Taylors Lake. It seems like the latter is most likely, once again I hope it's not soon.
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I think that the Ballarat league is quite happy as they are. It has lost Melton South to the Riddell league in recent weeks but Gisborne are likely to fill that void in the next year or two which will make the comp even more competitive. It would only look westward if for some reason the clubs around Melton, Sunbury and Bacchus Marsh/Darley wanted to move as a bundle. Can't see that happening for now. The Ballarat clubs don't want a bar of the beleaguered Bendigo league or its clubs.

I can see the number of clubs around Horsham reducing by natural attrition rather than by a decision from administrators. Clubs are usually the best at working out when mergers are required and forced ones won't work, neither will forcing leagues together as it will actually hasten the demise of clubs compared to leaving the leagues as they are and letting them work it all out.
 
Grimmett said:
Isn't the Ouyen United club the result of about 14 clubs merging over time?
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Closer to 30.

I reckon it would be cool if Ouyen United organised something like an AFL 9s carnival day where they set up like half a dozen teams, including a couple of teams out of these former towns (if there were enough there to get a team) so you'd have matches like Ouyen v Walpeup-Underbool and TGP v Ouyen Rovers (all in the old jumper colours). Even thought they aren't part of the clubs that make up United, you could even get Woomellang-Lascelles involved and rustle up a team and dust off the old jumpers one more time.

It would be a cool news story and the old folk in the towns would get a kick out of seeing the colours run around again.
 
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Grimmett said:
I hope the WFL and HDFL can survive as independent leagues but, at the very least, I foresee them both being eight team leagues at the most.
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20 down to 16 over the next ten years or so is certainly possible. Two leagues of eight. Play everyone twice. 14 rounds (four less than the current WFNL, but only two less games per club due to the bye). Top four with three rounds for finals. Five less weeks in total, allowing for either extra mid-season league byes or starting later to give a better gap between summer and winter sports. Less commitment may reduce the burnout on players and volunteers. Pro-rata reduction in salary caps could also help with fundraising requirements. This all assumes I've done my math correctly.

But, a top four in the WFNL could also make it hard for clubs to play finals or make it to the Grand Final. We've already noted in this thread that there's not a real even showing of teams this year for Saturday. Eight clubs also starts to get close to the question of how many clubs make a viable league. We don't want the city clubs to become the only dominant forces, with a few hangers-on. Maybe sticking with a top five in an eight team comp would work, still giving more income to the league which is also important. If the league makes less money from gate takings then the shortfall will have to come from club pockets. It is perhaps worth noting for the couple of years after United folded the WFNL was an eight team comp - but they opted to play some teams three times. This evened up again with the Giants joined.
 
Any predictions for the Grand Final? I'd love to see the Thunder win in their first season but the Rats have Tom Williamson, the best player in the league.

Assume Horsham Demons or Saints will win the rest of the grades!
 
Munners said:
Any predictions for the Grand Final? I'd love to see the Thunder win in their first season but the Rats have Tom Williamson, the best player in the league.

Assume Horsham Demons or Saints will win the rest of the grades!
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You won't go wrong backing a Horsham team in most of the games ;)

Ararat by 2 - 3 goals. Looks like it might rain (a few showers) which might keep things close. I'm with you, would love to see the Thunder get up but just can't see it.
 

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RudyCt said:
You won't go wrong backing a Horsham team in most of the games ;)

Ararat by 2 - 3 goals. Looks like it might rain (a few showers) which might keep things close. I'm with you, would love to see the Thunder get up but just can't see it.
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5 teams competing on the day across football and netball. Basically Horsham vs Saints in the netball except for a Stawell team once or twice and then Ararat and Thunder the only other teams to be represented on the big day.

Going to be tough to pull a decent crowd with minimal amount of other teams playing that's usually the draw card e.g. our 14's football are playing we go watch and hang around for the day. With it dominated by 2 teams it may just be a smaller crowd than previous years.

Horsham to win the first two matches, followed by Saints then Ararat in the seniors.
 

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