"3rds" in Benalla and District League

[moosha]

Meetings are currently in progress to discuss the possibility of Benalla and District league adopting a 3rds compition next year. Swanpool, G'Bat, Bonnie Doon, and Tattong are all interested in the compitition taking off next year.
The discussion has come about due to pressure from the VCFL to come up with a solution to strengthen and stablise the league which has started to slip over the last few years.
G'Bat and Swanpool currently have teams in the Benalla Junior league u/17's, with a high percentage of the kids living in benalla.
I believe though it will effect the Junior league quite serously, the idear is good. If they made it an u/18 comp i think they would obtian the numbers and the junior league, though it will be reduced back to only 3 or 4 teams; will still be able to survive.
Thoughts?

[slim18]

Meetings are currently in progress to discuss the possibility of Benalla and District league adopting a 3rds compition next year. Swanpool, G'Bat, Bonnie Doon, and Tattong are all interested in the compitition taking off next year.
The discussion has come about due to pressure from the VCFL to come up with a solution to strengthen and stablise the league which has started to slip over the last few years.
G'Bat and Swanpool currently have teams in the Benalla Junior league u/17's, with a high percentage of the kids living in benalla.
I believe though it will effect the Junior league quite serously, the idear is good. If they made it an u/18 comp i think they would obtian the numbers and the junior league, though it will be reduced back to only 3 or 4 teams; will still be able to survive.
Thoughts?

Moosh get off the hooch . you and i both know that if that happened it would ruin one of the best football nurseries in the N E . Benalla struggles to support teams in 3 leagues as it is .2 u/18 teams in the town is the maximum the town can afford. Maybe its time the bdfl faced the inevitable,put it hand up and said HELP.

[moosha]

Moosh get off the hooch . you and i both know that if that happened it would ruin one of the best football nurseries in the N E . Benalla struggles to support teams in 3 leagues as it is .2 u/18 teams in the town is the maximum the town can afford. Maybe its time the bdfl faced the inevitable,put it hand up and said HELP.

Not making yourself 100% clear there big fella but i have no doubt that the Benalla Junior League u/17's would suffer. The question is that would the loss to the junior league be as great as the gain to the District league?
As i have stated on previous posts, Benalla junior league is one of the best in Victoria with one of the Highest registration ratio's from Auskick through to u/17's, the fact is BDFL is struggling and are looking for a lifeline and they think a 3rds comp is there ticket out of trouble.
This is putting a hand and saying HELP.......

[TuskenRaider]

I think you make some good points Moosha, but I don't think that clubs like Longwood and Bonnie Doon (although I note you say Bonnie Doon are one of the clubs looking at it) are going to be able to field a thirds side. There just are not enough young kids around to fill a side. Of the ones that are, they will be playing at Mansfield, Euroa, Avenel etc.

It's a lot of kids to come out of Benalla to fill Devenish, Goorambat, Tatong & Swanpool too.

16 & 17 year old kids will have no trouble playing in the BDFL twos anyway if you can get them there. I would hate to see the BDFL fall over, but I really don't think clubs can sustain a thirds side.

[slim18]

Not making yourself 100% clear there big fella but i have no doubt that the Benalla Junior League u/17's would suffer. The question is that would the loss to the junior league be as great as the gain to the District league?
As i have stated on previous posts, Benalla junior league is one of the best in Victoria with one of the Highest registration ratio's from Auskick through to u/17's, the fact is BDFL is struggling and are looking for a lifeline and they think a 3rds comp is there ticket out of trouble.
This is putting a hand and saying HELP.......

Sorry muss it was late and i was tired and emotional. For the bdfl to survive there may need to be some club amalgamation and the introduction of two or 3 new clubs. with the cgfl on the way out this may well occur and bolster the league. i would still like to see the bdjfl left untouched. As you know first hand, trying to get enough kids sometimes to fill 2 u/18 sides in town is just comfortable. Those who dont make it still drift out to the bdfl sides.
Certainly some of those clubs would need to clean up their act if they want to attract younger players.

[moosha]

Your both about spot on tusken and slim. One thing i will say is that bonnie doon would obtian numbers from the current mansfield juniors, which at the moment see's 15 odd kids miss out on a game each week/year, due to restrictions of registrations to the junior league.
As they are still only playing with the idear, not really knowing what they want it is hard to make judgements on how it would all work out. As it stands they want an u/17's comp. This would be a disaster as it would completely destroy the BDJFL and you would find alot of 15-16 year old kids wouldnt be interested in travelling across the country side to play footy each week.
The current problem lies with kids making the transaction between Adiv(u/17's) and BDFL (Seconds or Seniors). Teams like Tattong have seen this is made easier at Swanpool and Goorambat because they have roots in the junior league - so Tattong have proposed to base an Adiv team out there, the "Magpies" for example.
If the vcfl persisted with this idear of "3rds" in the BDFL, i think the best bet would be to make it an u/18 comp and knock Adiv Back to u/16. Though all clubs may not be able to support 3rds, maby the majority would.
Any one got any thoughts on somthing other than 3rds that could help strengthen the BDFL?

[TuskenRaider]

I think the main thing other than to have thirds is to develop solid relationships with the major league clubs in the area so that kids who come out of thirds who may struggle to get a game in the seconds can go out to the BDFL clubs and develop their football. It is these people who need to be caught and not lost to the game forever.

An example of this on a totally different scale was Jim Stynes. When he came over from Ireland he played at Prahran in the VFA for a year before playing at Melbourne (sort of on loan).

I don't think it's a bad idea for a team like Tatong who want to put a side into the Benalla junior comp to do so, but I'm not sure if all clubs could do it. In truth, there is no easy answer to this problem.

Does anyone think that there could be another team added to the league? Violet Town may be a bit strong at the moment, but I don't think they want to go back to the BDFL anyway.

[moosha]

There is talk of maby thorton re-joining the BDFL but i cant imagine that would have a positive effect on the league. - Though i will add say if VT and Thorton joined the league there would be a stronger case for thirds. The main problem with Thorton joining the league is just like in the CGFL it is a fair road trip from anywhere.
From what i have herd VT are keen to get into the KDFL, dont think they are looking at BDFL as an option.
Another 1 or 2 teams would strengthen the league without a doubt, its just where they come from that is the issue.

[slim18]

So muss after your teams performace on Sun. would you like to see the bdjfl u/17 comp
decimated to support another 3rds comp? in a league that could struggle in years to come.

[moosha]

short answer, no.