League Restructures in Alberton, Ellinbank league areas

[Cockle doodle doo]

I agree that Ellinbank seems to be growing from strength to strength. From a league perspective that's good. but,

1. Are clubs like founding clubs like Ellinbank, NNS happy about their future, on and off the field?
2. what happens to teams like Dusties and Darnos next year, or the year after that?
3. 15 clubs in the comp illustrates a popular comp, but does it mean there will be casualties of football clubs that have been around for 100+ years because they can't see a window of success or don't get a say over league matters?

Don't get me wrong, it's not Ellinbank FL's fault that they're growing a stronger comp, in some areas, that's the administrator's job. but I believe it's time for the VCFL to get some hair on their bollocks, not be bullied by big clubs, and restructure competitions to sustainable levels, and standards so that they do all they can to keep as many football clubs alive as they can. Footy at this level is not a business, it's a community service.
You don't have to go far to ask people what happenned to their towns once their footy club merged or folded. Just go and have a beer in Welshpool or Culgoa etc. These unfortunate stories are everywhere and a solution for Gipplsand looks relatively easy compared to other parts of the country. We just need the right people to guide all the leagues through it.

 

[kenny moore]

Welcome, finally, to the forums, Kenny.

Bobmo is stealing my thunder. Hi kenny talk to you at costello's pub.

 

[stacksonthemill]

Cockle

Very well thought out restructure ... pity the logic isn't taken on board by the VCFL so inaction kicks in and things get worse.

 

[nobrot]

surkin quit with the negativity... you shoot down any ideas posted by anyone... id say any idea you had obviously isnt worth the time taken to post.. therefore... shut up

 

[frotherr_]

Ok Guys,
i'll have a go.
3 Leagues -
First league - West Gippsland - Cockatoo Gembrook, Garfield, Bunyip, Longwarry, NNS, NNG, Ellinbank, Buln Buln, Dusties, ND

Reasoning - Silvan just got accepted into the EFL leaving YVMDL with an uneven number in their first div. Gembrook is 17km from the Princes Hwy. All teams all not far off the Princes Hwy

Second League - South West Gippsland - Tooradin, Nyora, Poowong Catani, Cora Lynn, KWR, LL, KB, PI, Dalyston.

Reasoning - All not too far from Sth Gippy/ Bass Hwy, stopping at Wonthaggi. 11 teams in the CCFL, Taking Tooradin out would eliminate Bye.

Third League - South Gippsland - IK, Korumburra, Tarwin, MDU, Stony, Fishy, Toora, Allies, Foster, Yarram.

Reasoning - All these guys are happy to play each other. Basically follows Sth Gippy Hwy from Burra to Yarram, Tarwin and Invy 20 min off it.

This leaves Wonthaggi and Bairnsdale to come into the Gippsland major football league, playing their home and away games against each other in the valley thus providing an avenue for players to play at a high standard and represent their region in Gippsland.

All byes eliminated, no mergers, no big travel (apart from the clubs & populations who are willing to), will probably never happen.

This is actually mint that'd be a good idea, however at the moment the AFL seems to be doing well and there is quite a bit of competition in the league. Not sure if people would be keen on playing Tooradin and stuff

 

[Smiling Doctor]

These suggestions on league restructures are all good and well but don't really address the real problem. The main problem is not as much geographical but more a population/club size argument. From EDFL point of view, Ellinbank, Poowong, Nyora etc will not be able to compete on or off field against Nar Nar Goon, Cora Lynn, Koo Wee Rup etc for a very long time. 10 years ago the EDFL was pretty much the lowest ranked comp in the district and which was perfect as the league back then catered for small town clubs, pretty much like for like. While I have no problem with the league growing in popularity, financially and size it has come at the cost of the genuine small club fighting to keep their ass in their pants just to field sides on a Saturday(knowing they have not real chance of being competitive against the top sides) and this is not good for footy. Let's try and base leagues on strength and size for now and the immediate future. Not because certain clubs/towns are close in location. The smaller the clubs, the smaller the area to build a league (eg. Mid Gippy) and the larger the clubs, the larger the area to build a league (eg. Gippsland League). I'm not saying these examples are perfect but are sort of the right idea.

 

[frotherr_]

Yeah but judging teams on numbers rather than geographical wouldn't work. You couldn't have a team like Toora playing Ellinbank as thats ridiculous. I agree the real number is that though however teams can recruit and rather than having separate clubs why not amalgamate and form a stronger club? Then they can play in the same league and have a chance at winning a game. Also, in the AFNL, have people noticed teams e.g Stony Creek and Toora complain about losing and not getting numbers? Phillip Island is a small town and can get numbers and stuff so don't complain and say the league is unfair.

 

[Saint]

Phillip Island is a small town?? If it's got a high school, it's a big town.

Why is Toora playing Ellinbank ridiculous?

I think teams like Korumburra would benefit from having bigger teams to play against on a regular basis, even if it meant they had to improve to compete against teams like Bunyip/Nar Nar Goon.

Shouldn't lose sight of the fact that travel distances are important, especially with juniors and everybody knows how important juniors are. Possibly time juniors switched to Sundays and separated from the senior comp? Just have 1s, 2s, 3s on Saturday.

I'd say to switch the leagues to 3 or 4 leagues, geographic as well as size of town, with fewer teams and more intense local rivalries. Most of the decent rivalries are of towns close and of similar size anyway.

 

[frotherr_]

Phillip Island is a small town?? If it's got a high school, it's a big town.

Why is Toora playing Ellinbank ridiculous?

I think teams like Korumburra would benefit from having bigger teams to play against on a regular basis, even if it meant they had to improve to compete against teams like Bunyip/Nar Nar Goon.

Shouldn't lose sight of the fact that travel distances are important, especially with juniors and everybody knows how important juniors are. Possibly time juniors switched to Sundays and separated from the senior comp? Just have 1s, 2s, 3s on Saturday.

I'd say to switch the leagues to 3 or 4 leagues, geographic as well as size of town, with fewer teams and more intense local rivalries. Most of the decent rivalries are of towns close and of similar size anyway.

Toora playing in Ellinbank is ridiculous because of the travel.
Korumburra aren't a strong side and I don't think moving leagues would attract players and supporters as they're used to the Alberton league and rivalries have been built up.
And Phillip Island has a private secondary college where most of the students actually come from around the bass coast district rather than PI itself therefore that argument is invalid and would be anyway seeing as though towns smaller than Phillip Island have a high school. I understand what you're saying but in my opinion I think that would cause turmoil and people to actually turn there backs away from it.

 

[Saint]

If you take out all the fringe suburban teams like NNG, Bunyip, Garfield, Cora Lynn, then the teams in Ellinbank are as close to Toora as Kilcunda is. Philip Island would still be their furthest trip, time-wise.

Korumburra could be a stronger side, especially if they were in a division above those of the small towns surrounding which take a lot of their players. The better players would be drawn to the better league. Anyone who can't see Korumburra and Inverloch/K having more potential than Catani, Stony Creek or Nyora for long term success in juniors and seniors is not being serious. I think if the smaller towns of the Ellinbank league broke away and formed their own league, they would find a few clubs in Alberton who would want to move, maybe not short term, but in the long term, the smaller towns would drift that way, just like teams like Lang Lang and Garfield joining Ellinbank, didn't happen overnight.

 

[frotherr_]

I dunno it'd be pretty hard to convince the supporters this but I guess it would work

 

[Piezy]

It really doesn't matter what we think should happen, AFL Gippsland will do the restructure and clubs will be forced to move leagues, fold or merge with other clubs and there's nothing we can do about it. Hopefully no clubs will fold and it could be a great thing for local footy in the long run.