RDFNL 2026 Season discussion

[bevsDoggies]

My guess at the spend ladder

Wallen
Macedon
Diggers Rest
Woodend
Melton CentralS
Melton South
Kyneton
Riddell
Giants
Lancefield
Romsey

 

[footynerd15]

Whilst Macedon do have a strong undercurrent, for a community that size it has come around the concept of offering a safe, all encompassing "developmental" approach from when I began chatting to Alistair after season 2022 on the back of a few errors made in their U17 space.

Some of the now one pointers have certainly come from other communities or circles, made to (1.) feel welcome (2.) included (3.) valued (4.) developed to the point of retention being as big a judge of success as anything trophy related.

2024 we had I think 9 xU19s in that prelim team, last year 6-7 of our last months squad of 25/26 were still U19s eligible but we had no desire or need to qualify them.
Yesterday across both seniors/reserves there woulda been at least 5-6 age eligible for U19's.
FWIW if the next one isn't Callum Large I'll stand rooted - he's something Macedon don't or haven't had over the past few seasons and I can't wait to see how he goes if he gets a proper shot at it. Was a week off debut last year when he sustained a season ending ankle break.

Long story short sorry but there actually isn't enough families/children within the 3440 and 3441 postcodes for Macedon to field adequately across all levels of male and female competitions without being open to neighbouring kids/familes wanting/needing a place to play should they need it - then it's about the connection in to retention aspect.

In comparison, whilst Wallan is growing, it certainly isn't in a white anglo sense and that's not being anything other than honest out our way.
Cricket club's flying numbers wise, but Wallan hasn't fielded junior teams consistently across every possible underage level since before Covid.

The times I've snuck at look at training they split up far too much for their kids to actually learn properly which is a hurdle and ensures the gsap in skillset once the current squad disperses will be quite significant.
Perhaps that there suggests the need or want to recruit again and again as they don't trust the internal level of where there kids are regularly at.

We'll hear Nash King who I love BTW, the Gilchrists lads (ditto) but they didn't actually learn and develop holistically at Wallan.

Personally they don't appear as connected with the juniors and/or womens program as they could be, but that's something the stakeholders involved are in control of and know why.
Please go easy on me, this is all purely subjective observation over a decade or so of friends of my kids, and kids of my friends participating across Wallan sporting clubs.

I think the ethnicity in growing suburbs is really interesting. Melton and Sunbury clubs are having issues fielding junior teams even though massive population growth. It is a real thing.

Retaining juniors also seems to be a problem with the rubbish parents are fed by clubs in the EDFL about where young players need to play to make representative teams. The Cannons and the Jets have a lot to answer for with this rubbish as well. Combine the two and keeping the best talent from your junior clubs becomes an issue.

I honestly don't think it will be long before Melton are looking to join the RDFNL - they had to forfeit their under 18 game on the weekend against North Ballarat.

It becomes even more important to keep and grow the ones you have as Doona points put

 

[Aucklander]

Points from the weekend:

27 v 34
42 v 36
37 v 43
34 v 37
43 v 43

 

[Aucklander]

Identifying or "pidegon holing" young Fowler as a deep key defender and not holistically acknowledging/developing what his traits and potential upside is may be counter productive to the individual.

Sorry, mate, but I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying he won't develop as a player in a match-up against Callum Moore?

I'd be playing him a bit further up the ground, not much, right now, but for Diggers, IMO, he's the guy for the job to start with. If Cosgrove is back, he might get him for a bit too.

It hasn't been noted from the Kyneton game, but Wallan controlled the game better when Stewart dropped back a bit more, and Owen pushed further up the ground. HBF's where I'd play him mostly.

Coaching vs Developing .....

Moore and Markov offer one of the biggest development opportunities for every team they play against.

 

[footynerd15]

My guess at the spend ladder

Wallen
Macedon
Diggers Rest
Woodend
Melton CentralS
Melton South
Kyneton
Riddell
Giants
Lancefield
Romse

Points from the weekend:

27 v 34
42 v 36
37 v 43
34 v 37
43 v 43

I'm not sure how it matters. If you have good players even as 1 pointers you have to pay them to keep them or to get them back if they played 40 junior games and have gone elsewhere. Just because they are 1 point they don't necessarily play for $50.......1 pointers become very valuable as they allow you to recruit top end talent.

I'm tipping the best local 1 pointers for each club are getting paid well for there service.

You have two massive issues with this whole process. You have teams like Central's and Lancefield that would have to pay massive overs to get players to come to them. They don't have success and then players leave and you are a hamster on a wheel every year. Replacing what you lost and not getting any traction.

Then you have Diggers (only an example) who keep the players they recruit, they drop a point each year and then they can go and get more good players as they are up and near the top and stay there.

Diggers are the biggest proof that the system does not work. The whole system was supposed to be about clubs keeping their juniors and building junior clubs. Have a look at all the successful teams across the state. It isn't about their juniors, it's about the loss of a point off all recruits each year, they keep them and then get more on top.

Good on them for being successful - but there is very little change every year and that's the reason why - unless a club runs out of $$$.

And this isn't just on RDFNL - it's across the state

 

[Doona2]

I think the ethnicity in growing suburbs is really interesting. Melton and Sunbury clubs are having issues fielding junior teams even though massive population growth. It is a real thing.

Retaining juniors also seems to be a problem with the rubbish parents are fed by clubs in the EDFL about where young players need to play to make representative teams. The Cannons and the Jets have a lot to answer for with this rubbish as well. Combine the two and keeping the best talent from your junior clubs becomes an issue.

I honestly don't think it will be long before Melton are looking to join the RDFNL - they had to forfeit their under 18 game on the weekend against North Ballarat.

It becomes even more important to keep and grow the ones you have as Doona points put

Have caught a few glimpses across both 3 junior comps, boys and girls,12s to 17s over the past 3 weekends and sadly our junior coaches only "know what they know" which is the glaringly an obvious concern in some instances.

Throwing an eager applicant a bag of balls, a whistle and magnets and leaving them to fend for themselves hurts the kids chances of learning/growing/developing more than anything else if our coaches aren't being coached too.

You can run out of fingers at many junior huddles if your count the amount of things coaches roll out.
If you haven't taught/coached and know its understandable please don't even use it on a Sunday as the kids have no idea anyway.

Hopefully the two regions you refer to are aware of how many kids are being coached and taught, as that can answer a lot of questions as to what's going on too, where the gaps are etc.

aaaaah .... hang on, maybe that's why we can't go to pathways or school huddles anymore - so we can't hear the messaging to understand more about how and why players maybe doing what the eye is telling us.

 

[uptheguts625]

Whoever gets the Callum Moore

47

Callum Moore

Age

29

Ht

193cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

2.0

1star

K

0.0

1star

HB

2.0

1star

M

0.0

1star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.6

3star

job for the rest of the season expect to be put on an island in the 50m arc. From what I saw on the weekend and the Melton Sth game, Diggers cleared out their forward line and left him one out (as you should with that caliber of player). Scary proposition for any defender in the league.

 

[Turbos mail]

Whoever gets the Callum Moore job for the rest of the season expect to be put on an island in the 50m arc. From what I saw on the weekend and the Melton Sth game, Diggers cleared out their forward line and left him one out (as you should with that caliber of player). Scary proposition for any defender in the league.

In that case just play 2 defenders on him if the ball is coming in to just Moore.
The South game the plan was simple. Get it and bomb it deep quickly to Moore and the other forwards just do dummy leads up the forward 50. Campbell in particular just banged it long with a scrappy kick but it worked as Moore will mark anything. Good luck and interesting to see how Wallan go. Are they a contender or pretender?? I hope a contender otherwise it’s a one horse race..

 

[Doona2]

Sorry, mate, but I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying he won't develop as a player in a match-up against Callum Moore?

I'd be playing him a bit further up the ground, not much, right now, but for Diggers, IMO, he's the guy for the job to start with. If Cosgrove is back, he might get him for a bit too.

It hasn't been noted from the Kyneton game, but Wallan controlled the game better when Stewart dropped back a bit more, and Owen pushed further up the ground. HBF's where I'd play him mostly.


Moore and Markov offer one of the biggest development opportunities for every team they play against.

I meant labelling him as a full back before Rd.1 as I was told had occurred during the back end of the cricket season.

If whoever is coaching Wallan's defence is setting up Owen's week with some vision etc on Moore, then yes a great opportunity this week - but more often than not I'd be doing everything to grow him the other 12-13 times during H&A games when he simply wins that position on the ground.

Get him up the ground as much as possible as he shifts the ground much better, quicker and longer than a few between the arc regulars, otherwise he'll get bored pretty quickly simply defending in the D50 and utilsing the same few kicks required in that part of the ground.

 

[Turbos mail]

Whilst Macedon do have a strong undercurrent, for a community that size it has come around the concept of offering a safe, all encompassing "developmental" approach which I learnt about when I began chatting to Alistair after season 2022 on the back of a few errors made in their U17 space he sought external, non bias counsel on.

Some of the now one pointers have certainly come from other communities or circles, made to (1.) feel welcome (2.) included (3.) valued (4.) developed to the point of retention being as big a judge of success as anything trophy related.

2024 we had I think 9 xU19s in that prelim team, last year 6-7 of our last months squad of 25/26 were still U19s eligible but we had no desire or need to qualify them.
Yesterday across both seniors/reserves there woulda been at least 5-6 age eligible for U19's.
FWIW if the next one isn't Callum Large I'll stand rooted - he's something Macedon don't or haven't had over the past few seasons and I can't wait to see how he goes if he gets a proper shot at it. Was a week off debut last year when he sustained a season ending ankle break.

Long story short sorry but there actually isn't enough families/children within the 3440 and 3441 postcodes for Macedon to field adequately across all levels of male and female competitions without being open to neighbouring kids/familes wanting/needing a place to play should they need it - then it's about the connection in to retention aspect.

In comparison, whilst Wallan is growing, it certainly isn't in a white anglo sense and that's not being anything other than honest out our way.
Cricket club's flying numbers wise, but Wallan hasn't fielded junior teams consistently across every possible underage level since before Covid.

The times I've snuck at look at training they split up far too much for their kids to actually learn properly which is a hurdle and ensures the gaps in skillset once the current squad disperses will be quite significant.
Perhaps that there suggests the need or want to recruit again and again as they don't trust the internal level of where there kids are regularly at.

We'll hear Nash King who I love BTW, the Gilchrists lads (ditto) but they didn't actually learn and develop holistically at Wallan.

Personally they don't appear as connected with the juniors and/or womens program as they could be, but that's something the stakeholders involved are in control of and know why.
Please go easy on me, this is all purely subjective observation over a decade or so of friends of my kids, and kids of my friends participating across Wallan sporting clubs.

Cheers mate, great post.

Now have a just researched correctly or wrongly.

Wallan have no 15s and 17s? Riddell have no 17s. I just checked the RDFL teams in all divisions..surely I’m wrong..

Melton area:

• Centrals 17s going ok in A division
• South 17s in B division.

Both appear to have good numbers

• Souths 15s going good
• Centrals 15s below South.

Interesting.

Melton Bloods dropping off in juniors which is strange.

Sunbury Lions juniors not looking great either.

Wow wee what’s happening with junior footy in some of these areas. I understand the demographics but surely something is going wrong. Yes the AFL do sweet FA now for the development of junior footy and that’s a total disgrace. And the State Gov also do FA. No wonder we have a crime issue with the youth of today..

 

[Aucklander]

I meant labelling him as a full back before Rd.1 as I was told had occurred during the back end of the cricket season.

Got ya.

If whoever is coaching Wallan's defence is setting up Owen's week with some vision etc on Moore, then yes a great opportunity this week - but more often than not I'd be doing everything to grow him the other 12-13 times during H&A games when he simply wins that position on the ground.

We're certainly not too far apart on our thinking.

Get him up the ground as much as possible as he shifts the ground much better, quicker and longer than a few between the arc regulars, otherwise he'll get bored pretty quickly simply defending in the D50 and utilsing the same few kicks required in that part of the ground.

Absolutely.

 

[Doona2]

Cheers mate, great post.

Now have a just researched correctly or wrongly.

Wallan have no 15s and 17s? Riddell have no 17s. I just checked the RDFL teams in all divisions..surely I’m wrong..

Melton area:

• Centrals 17s going ok in A division
• South 17s in B division.

Both appear to have good numbers

• Souths 15s going good
• Centrals 15s below South.

Interesting.

Melton Bloods dropping off in juniors which is strange.

Unsure about the Riddell situation in entirety, but I know last year Macedon ended up with 2 U17 teams on the back of a number of Riddell kids enquiring after they had a full compliment and a few missed out - on top of maybe 3-4 Riddell kids playing at an EDFL club this year these could be two minor contributing factors to that gap in 2026?

Actually unsure about the reasons for any Wallan gaps this season but it does prevent sustainability, as we experienced a few times in Kilmore too when it comes to servicing the senior club in rolling through in adequate numbers to sustain an U19s.

Only going to get tougher in some housing development areas around the traps and who's purchasing and where there personal interests lie, more importantly is it community they're seeking or just cheaper housing with no desire to join anything within community?

 

[Doona2]

Got ya.



We're certainly not too far apart on our thinking.



Absolutely.

Yeh wish I could still be doing it at a higher level but papers have been stamped Auck which sucks

Anyway that's for another time ...

 

[Thunder1]

Cheers mate, great post.

Now have a just researched correctly or wrongly.

Wallan have no 15s and 17s? Riddell have no 17s. I just checked the RDFL teams in all divisions..surely I’m wrong..

Melton area:

• Centrals 17s going ok in A division
• South 17s in B division.

Both appear to have good numbers

• Souths 15s going good
• Centrals 15s below South.

Interesting.

Melton Bloods dropping off in juniors which is strange.

Sunbury Lions juniors not looking great either.

Wow wee what’s happening with junior footy in some of these areas. I understand the demographics but surely something is going wrong. Yes the AFL do sweet FA now for the development of junior footy and that’s a total disgrace. And the State Gov also do FA. No wonder we have a crime issue with the youth of today..

Turbos mail how much research (not much) or knowledge do you have.
Wallan has 17's and 16's playing in NFNL where they play
Research!!!

 

[Turbos mail]

I was sure the live scores were working earlier in the game.

Anyway, Kyneton's butchered kicking hurts them again. Ryan is a better footballer when he doesn't try to take mark of the year all the time. Melton South's ground looks tiny on the tele. Can the clubs ensure the commentary team have access to the right team sheet for the streamed game?

That said, an enjoyable game of footy to watch on a pretty average afternoon.

The gulf between the good and the bad has got worse.

Good tough win by South who had 6 eligible for 19.5 playing in the 22.
South in front all game and almost lost it through some skill errors late.
Strange negative coaching tactics by Kyneton in my opinion were telling early.

#17 Hargraves for Kyneton kicked 4 and was good forward. His first game as Footscray VFL player. Lucky they had him playing.
Gee that Ryan has a leap rarely seen these days. But he just couldn’t hold onto them. If he did probably 3 contenders for mark of the year.The young South defender up from 19s did a fantastic job playing on him all game.

Turbos mail how much research (not much) or knowledge do you have.
Wallan has 17's and 16's playing in NFNL where they play
Research!!!

oh was going to say do they play in another league..

I only checked the RDFL league hence why I asked the question

 

[Turbos mail]

Turbos mail how much research (not much) or knowledge do you have.
Wallan has 17's and 16's playing in NFNL where they play
Research!!!

Hence the way I wrote my post referring to RDFL reference.

Why are there juniors in a different league? Or why are there seniors not in the NFNL?? Strange set up..

 

[Doona2]

Hence the way I wrote my post referring to RDFL reference.

Why are there juniors in a different league? Or why are there seniors not in the NFNL?? Strange set up..

Kilmore had to go the with juniors to the NFNL or simply lose kids senior club later followed for alignment

13 maybe 14 junior teams now so simply chose to offer Kilmore families an option as opposed to fielding less teams and seeing them have to go elsewhere

Northern go up U9. to U17 every age not in 2s like RDFNL and EDFL

Wallan joined for a brief stint around the time the RDFL was teetering looked like folding simply to find somewhere before all clubs may have been looking too.

Got back as soon as they could juniors stayed … or so I recall it happening roughly

 

[Talkinshite]

Hence the way I wrote my post referring to RDFL reference.

Why are there juniors in a different league? Or why are there seniors not in the NFNL?? Strange set up..

Embarrassing mistake turbo for someone that knows it all

 

[Vlodrive]

Hence the way I wrote my post referring to RDFL reference.

Why are there juniors in a different league? Or why are there seniors not in the NFNL?? Strange set up..

No different to Sunbury K and Sunbury L. Juniors are RDFNL & seniors are EDFL & BFNL. They are two separate clubs. Wallan is probably the same.

 

[Doona2]

No different to Sunbury K and Sunbury L. Juniors are RDFNL & seniors are EDFL & BFNL. They are two separate clubs. Wallan is probably the same.

Correct and personal experience suggests it’s the best model otherwise junior fees go up and up and the majority is utilised at 2pm the day before junior football.

 

[Tigerman75]

Unsure about the Riddell situation in entirety, but I know last year Macedon ended up with 2 U17 teams on the back of a number of Riddell kids enquiring after they had a full compliment and a few missed out - on top of maybe 3-4 Riddell kids playing at an EDFL club this year these could be two minor contributing factors to that gap in 2026?

Actually unsure about the reasons for any Wallan gaps this season but it does prevent sustainability, as we experienced a few times in Kilmore too when it comes to servicing the senior club in rolling through in adequate numbers to sustain an U19s.

Only going to get tougher in some housing development areas around the traps and who's purchasing and where there personal interests lie, more importantly is it community they're seeking or just cheaper housing with no desire to join anything within community?

Its a shame that some teams can't fill a 17s, thats the future of the club heading to senior football, I do know riddell juniors had a fall out on the committee due to coach appointments, thats why they all left, like my son to Macedon, Gisborne and back to sunbury.

1 coach was wanted by the families, the other was wanted by the club, its apparently killed the juniors there with only fielding 3 boys teams.

 

[Aucklander]

Callum Moore

47

Callum Moore

Age

29

Ht

193cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

2.0

1star

K

0.0

1star

HB

2.0

1star

M

0.0

1star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.6

3star

with 274 ranking points on the weekend. Dan Toman with 236. Dan also remains a clear leader, though. Throw in the top tackler, disposer, and of course, there's the frees for too.

Callum Moore

47

Callum Moore

Age

29

Ht

193cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

2.0

1star

K

0.0

1star

HB

2.0

1star

M

0.0

1star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.6

3star

is leading the goal kickers, the marks, and the behinds LoL.

Rosetti streets ahead in the hit-outs.

 

[Itspetracca]

Its a shame that some teams can't fill a 17s, thats the future of the club heading to senior football, I do know riddell juniors had a fall out on the committee due to coach appointments, thats why they all left, like my son to Macedon, Gisborne and back to sunbury.

1 coach was wanted by the families, the other was wanted by the club, its apparently killed the juniors there with only fielding 3 boys teams.

1 coach was the previous year U17 premiership coach. 1 coach was the U15 coach who a few families wanted to follow the kids upto U17 and coach. The committee rightfully re-appointed the premiership coach. There was no fall out on the committee and the juniors certainly haven't been killed??? No U17 in 2026 is a result of no U15 in 2025.

 

[Doona2]

Cheers Itspetracca either way it's a bloody shame whenever the children become anything but no.1 priority.

Getting harder in the mid to late teenage bracket, and often comes back to messaging, life lessons etc well before kids get to their chosen sports first training session of any season - all starts around the kitchen table, or the car ride to and from.

Sadly that's the hardest unknown for any person willing to hop in and coach or more importantly function as a development type mentor for teenagers - the conversations you don't hear or partake in

 

[leo tolstoy]

1 coach was the previous year U17 premiership coach. 1 coach was the U15 coach who a few families wanted to follow the kids upto U17 and coach. The committee rightfully re-appointed the premiership coach. There was no fall out on the committee and the juniors certainly haven't been killed??? No U17 in 2026 is a result of no U15 in 2025.

Major issue in junior football in that groups of players are aligning themselves to a coach/keyplayer and not the club. Coach or key player moves and the sheep follow on mass.