Yep exactly the same problems Castlemaine, Harcourt, creek, Maldon Newstead, probably down to two
2021 Bendigo Football League
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BartSimpson
Team Captain
Didn’t something like that get thrown up a few years back and Maryborough members voted against it?
Yep I reckon you're right, maybe 5 years ago, not much has changed though, so it'd be worth revisiting
Agree, Campbells Creek and Castlemaine need to look at this. Same colours! Merge and get the whole community behind one club. Bigger numbers, more supporters and a better bottom line as a result. Yep, the quality of players might not be there but its a solid foundation.
Too Old Too Slow (TOTS)
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Mergers never, ever, never work. From AFL to local footy I don't know one merger where both teams end up as equal partners.
Why would Harcourt merge with anyone? Creek and Maine would be still a shite team. Dunolly and Talbot... are you serious. No more than 5 players from Rovers and Bushy would make the current Maryborough team, hardly making them stronger.
The answer is new leagues with divisions - mergers are not the answer.
P.S. Maryborough played in the Bendigo league from 1932 to 1940 as Maryborough United.
Wyche-Narraport merged in 64 have gone on to win 19 flags….I’d say it “worked” pretty well.
The fact is there isn’t enough talent to support the amount of teams to ensure everyone is competitive.
It’s harder to get young blokes to play footy now then whatnot was 10 years ago.
Most recent mergers have worked. Southern Mallee giants and Ouyen United are too recent ones that have worked fantastic for their communities. That's such an old school thought mergers don't work, more and more will occur. Look at the work Charlton and wyche are doing, but too much old school thoughts held it back.
Division footy in the country will never work. The gap is too large, look at Locky couldn't sustain it within the Bendigo league and they are the best side outside the Bendigo league.
Division footy in the country will never work. The gap is too large, look at Locky couldn't sustain it within the Bendigo league and they are the best side outside the Bendigo league.
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Disagree with you here. The issue is too many clubs for the number of participants and talent level nowadays.
Mergers or clubs folding is inevitable so I believe clubs need to be proactive or get left behind and eventually out all together
Grassroots Guru
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Hi guys, hope you don't mind me intruding. Was sifting through some of the leagues in lockdown boredom and came across the solid discussions that you've had about the structure and future of your league. It's refreshing to read without any carry on and garbage that you see in other league forums.
I noticed there was discussion around Castlemaine and have observed it's struggles in the past 5 years.
I posted this in the RDFL forum in July but not much came of it.
But reading in the sun I noticed they are trying to get clubs after losing 4 or so in the past 5 years.
Does anyone involved in the BFL think that Castlemaine should take a step back from major league footy and go to a league like Riddell?
While it would certainly extend the RDFL's boundaries they appear to be roughly within 1 hrs travel for most clubs in the league which isn’t too unreasonable.
They seem to be really struggling in the BFL and perhaps playing in a league closer to Melbourne could actually assist with recruitment and sustaining themselves away from a major league.
There's probably a lot more to it that you guys may chime in with but thought i'd chip in and keep the discussion going.
I noticed there was discussion around Castlemaine and have observed it's struggles in the past 5 years.
I posted this in the RDFL forum in July but not much came of it.
But reading in the sun I noticed they are trying to get clubs after losing 4 or so in the past 5 years.
Does anyone involved in the BFL think that Castlemaine should take a step back from major league footy and go to a league like Riddell?
While it would certainly extend the RDFL's boundaries they appear to be roughly within 1 hrs travel for most clubs in the league which isn’t too unreasonable.
They seem to be really struggling in the BFL and perhaps playing in a league closer to Melbourne could actually assist with recruitment and sustaining themselves away from a major league.
There's probably a lot more to it that you guys may chime in with but thought i'd chip in and keep the discussion going.
Too Old Too Slow (TOTS)
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GG - the issue I, and many others post about, is much more than Castlemaine. IMO it's Maryborough, Flat, Campbells Creek, Dunolly, Rovers, Bushy, Inglewood, Leithy, Heathcote and I could keep going with the Central Highland and the Ballarat league. Again IMO mergers of a few teams will not solve the problem - Divisions across the whole of CV is the solution.
Too Old Too Slow (TOTS)
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Trent - It is only my opinion but I hate mergers, not because of the new team, but because small towns need football and netball teams. No football team for Dunolly, Talbot, Inglewood, Heathcote etc will kill the town. Again IMO there are potentially new players in these towns that would play if they weren't getting smacked by 200 points each week.
That's the whole point of mergers that have happened recently. Clubs are better off having some footy played at their town, then none. Walpeup, Ouyen, buelah and Hopetoun were all proud successful clubs in their own right, but juniors is the heart of a country footy club, so they merged and they still get to watch footy on their home ground. There's too many clubs in and around Maryborough and Castlemaine, where there's not the same interest in footy.
I played against dunolly nearly 20 years ago and they were terrible, not much has changed. Something has to happen within these towns regarding a footy structure
I played against dunolly nearly 20 years ago and they were terrible, not much has changed. Something has to happen within these towns regarding a footy structure
Minyip-Murtoa hasn't been too bad ... even considering one wore Collingwood colours and the other Carlton colours
Slammin Sammy Says
Debutant
What about Natte - Bealiba in the MCDFNL?
Merger seems ok to me
Merger seems ok to me
Slammin Sammy Says
Debutant
One thing that surprises me is clubs get belted week in week out for years but keep fronting up each season!
Tempe Goya Patchewollock!!
Too Old Too Slow (TOTS)
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Probably need a new thread on mergers but a few comments
1. There is no Bealiba in Natte- Bealiba - they used to play games and train at Bealiba in the 90s, but it is now all Natte - not a criticism, just the reality
2. Most mergers are in reality takeovers - few support 2 grounds for home games and shared training nights
3. Tempe Goya Patchewollock, I think you forgot Speed, Tempe Goya Patchewollock Speed
4. Lots of these success stories are from the Mallee - I am not strong on the Mallee comp but it is significantly different from our discussion about CV
5. Places like Dunolly, Talbot, Campbells Creek, Inglewood and particularly Heathcote are on the verge of population growth due to the move out of Melbourne.
6. Look at Trentham restated a club due to population changes
7. In looking at Divisions I am only suggesting for CV, not the Mallee, Sunraysia or the Central Desert.
CV needs Divisions !
Most mergers in the 90s were takeovers, where the lesser club lost their identity.
Just look at proud successful clubs like Charlton and wyche that are seriously considering merging, which wouldn't be a takeover. They are central Vic clubs.
As stated I can't see division footy working in the country, bar the Mornington Peninsula and Geelong. It ruins junior comps, by doing it. When Locky came into the Bendigo league, they played finals first year, however all their juniors went to Rochy, which is what clubs like Lockington makes them successful their juniors coming through and the whole family going to the footy and playing at the same venue.
It may sound like a great idea in terms of senior footy to have divisions, but footy/netball clubs are much more than just senior footy, it's watching the juniors come through to become senior players, where the whole community comes along. Not sure the community want to do further travel just for the sake of senior footy.
Places like Castlemaine and Maryborough don't have the interest in footy to keep all these times alive like in the 90s when everyone played footy.
Just look at proud successful clubs like Charlton and wyche that are seriously considering merging, which wouldn't be a takeover. They are central Vic clubs.
As stated I can't see division footy working in the country, bar the Mornington Peninsula and Geelong. It ruins junior comps, by doing it. When Locky came into the Bendigo league, they played finals first year, however all their juniors went to Rochy, which is what clubs like Lockington makes them successful their juniors coming through and the whole family going to the footy and playing at the same venue.
It may sound like a great idea in terms of senior footy to have divisions, but footy/netball clubs are much more than just senior footy, it's watching the juniors come through to become senior players, where the whole community comes along. Not sure the community want to do further travel just for the sake of senior footy.
Places like Castlemaine and Maryborough don't have the interest in footy to keep all these times alive like in the 90s when everyone played footy.
The memories of Allan Beasley trying to get the name out fast during the country footy scoreboard on a Saturday night 
Old bomber
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For divisions to work all clubs would need the same grades of football and netball. This would mean big changes for some clubs.
Slammin Sammy Says
Debutant
I played at Campbells Creek in 2014 & 2015.
What I think Central Victoria needs is smaller localised district leagues of say 8-9 teams not the current 17 team CHFL and 13 team MCDFNL. It's 115 km from Campbells Creek to Navarre! It's 120 km from Creek to Melbourne CBD
Smythsdale and Creek look to be gone. More will follow. I am still surprised how some clubs hang in for so long
What I think Central Victoria needs is smaller localised district leagues of say 8-9 teams not the current 17 team CHFL and 13 team MCDFNL. It's 115 km from Campbells Creek to Navarre! It's 120 km from Creek to Melbourne CBD
Smythsdale and Creek look to be gone. More will follow. I am still surprised how some clubs hang in for so long
BartSimpson
Team Captain
Devon Welshpool Wron Won Woodside probably the greatest named merged team of all time!The memories of Allan Beasley trying to get the name out fast during the country footy scoreboard on a Saturday night
Just imagine poor hay in the golden rivers, they travel 200+ ks every second week.
Most league's have travel of at least an hour for the longest though, it's not metro footy
Most league's have travel of at least an hour for the longest though, it's not metro footy
