Upper Murray FL 2019

bidge

Debutant
Sep 7, 2007
76
54
Colonial Stadium
AFL Club
Geelong
I can see a few forfeits in the Upper Murray next year. Teams will start with 22-24 players and a few rounds in will have injury and unavailability and I bet a few battle to field a side at all.

As you said teams will start the season with 22-23 players on their list. Paying overs for blokes to fill teams who aren't lifting the standard of the competition. A couple of injuries will happen early, as it always does and we see no junior structure to support it. How many TDFL teams have played U/17's this season? UM don't have that luxury to be filling reserves and seniors teams with young people currently 17 and under.

The year will peter out and we will see the same two teams winning the league and showing no real endeavour or knowledge of the future of the game and we will honestly look back at this as the death nail in the coffin of Upper Murray Football.

The league will never find 100 junior players to fill a u/17'S when teams currently fill the Tallangatta Football Clubs u/17's team. The same can be said with a 100 blokes to happily play ressies football in the UM.

Without Netball this league is in dire straits and to see the money which is being handed out is not sustainable for any club, it is purely a bandaid over the fresh bullet wound which is AFL in Victoria.
 

Les Malone

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 28, 2019
5,752
6,279
AFL Club
GWS
Is the rural population up that way shrinking that much or a lack of interest in footy or a combo, only a couple of years ago Tumbarumba won and it was looking OK ?

Used to head up that way pretty regularly but quite a while ago, used to have family connections at the Indi hotel in Corryong, not sure what its called now?

Has the league considered playing 16 a side or similar.

Not sure how big Corryong is now but surely its big enough for a footy team.

Used to go to Towong races back in the day
 

bidge

Debutant
Sep 7, 2007
76
54
Colonial Stadium
AFL Club
Geelong
Currently the Upper Murray has a 16 players on the field and 20 a team.
The issues are a lot deeper than player retention it is also making sure players are even involved.
Clubs have continually struggled to field even senior teams and the disparity between the top and bottom continues to grow.

Bullioh seemed to take care of Federal on the weekend. Looking at numbers during the year, the corryong teams have struggled to be sustainable. You would doubt both teams can survive going forward without new coaches at the helm to bring more players.
 

Rknee

Senior List
Sep 5, 2012
152
60
AFL Club
West Coast
The comp will not survive to merge if it goes another season....... bullioh dont have enough junior support to join the Tallangatta league on their own. And if they do then that the gap gets wider between first and second in the UMFL. No one will get within 100 points of Cudgewa next season without Bullioh to keep up with them. Bullioh to merge with wodonga saints and relocate to Bethanga (its costing them to much to play at Martin park) tumba head wagga way and the remaining upper Murray teams merge or get left behind. It needs to happen or there will be no future for football in the area.
 

Relton7

Rookie
Nov 22, 2016
29
27
AFL Club
Adelaide
Cudgewa because they are currently going ok. But going ok in a league that is going horribly is not exactly a great achievement. Would love to know there position if they were in Walwa’s situation. Corryong, federal and Walwa form a team and leave Cudgewa to sort themselves out.
 

JOHNNY GASTEV

Team Captain
Jan 7, 2008
317
107
Lavington
AFL Club
West Coast
Cudgewa because they are currently going ok. But going ok in a league that is going horribly is not exactly a great achievement. Would love to know there position if they were in Walwa’s situation. Corryong, federal and Walwa form a team and leave Cudgewa to sort themselves out.
Agree, let Cudgewa go alone and let them prosper or fold.
 

bidge

Debutant
Sep 7, 2007
76
54
Colonial Stadium
AFL Club
Geelong
You cant blame clubs for continuing to want UMFL football. I fully accept the future may be away from this league, and as individual clubs they need to design a course of action going forward. There is no room for complacency this year either TDFL or UM. As was mentioned Cudgy are riding the wave and will continue to get stronger playing in a weakened competition. They could win back to back Grand Finals (Early Call i know).
Three clubs are still believed to be looking for coaches and this could make or break the league. A strong Corryong/Federals really does set up the league and give some credibility. Federals (3) defeated Tumba (4) by close to 20 goals and then Bullioh (2) defeated Federals (3) by 15 goals.
Those margins have got too close.
Reading the article on the BM website last week, Federals had close to 8-10 blokes from Wodonga, a lot coming out of retirement. You'd imagine if they don't sign up again questions could be asked as too if they go forward into 2020 or come back to Border Walwa and Corryong.
 

Old Kenny

Team Captain
Sep 9, 2007
543
736
up there
AFL Club
Sydney
Great to have so many contributors on our page. And some very valid points too.

Will bullioh be admitted to the tdfl? And I suppose we should think about this weekend. Bullioh in an upset for mine. By 2 goals.
 

Les Malone

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 28, 2019
5,752
6,279
AFL Club
GWS
What the junior scene like up that way, is there juniors coming through in realistic numbers to consolidate the clubs ?.
 

Greyhorse

Rookie
Mar 26, 2019
38
28
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Great to have so many contributors on our page. And some very valid points too.

Will bullioh be admitted to the tdfl? And I suppose we should think about this weekend. Bullioh in an upset for mine. By 2 goals.
There is no way Bullioh will be in the Tdfl next year. My tips for grand final Bullioh by 14 in seniors and Bullioh by 56 in reserves
 

bidge

Debutant
Sep 7, 2007
76
54
Colonial Stadium
AFL Club
Geelong
Well everyone it is the end of the season and Bullioh assert themselves as the best team in the league by coming away from it with the chocolates.
Interesting match but just too strong in the third and kicked away to a memorable victory for the football club.
I guess we now start the journey for 2020. As a football league it will be interesting to see how the Bullioh conversation pans out. That have a fine club which has been built over the last 20 years or so and some good footballers. But the ability to move the ball and the clean skills will be their biggest challenge. The ability of TDFL teams to stop forwards in games is amazing to watch and you have to wonder where the avenue to goal would come if Ash Murray is held or not at the club for 2020. Watching the Barny v Kiewa game yesterday in the cold and wet at Sandy Creek, Cook went goaless and Telford kicked two but both teams played a somewhat entertaining game. Bullioh would have some trouble chasing the spread and ball movement of both clubs, something they aren't familiar with in the UM.
If they can keep the majority of the list and sign four/five more more TDFL players back to their club, they could be a threat to play finals in the TDFL. The question would be asked to the playing group if they are interested in the challenge of TDFL football as they would need both a strong seniors and reserves team.

Cudegwa keep the same team list in a four team comp it could get messy, they have been streets in front of remaining sides and The Carey boys have recruited well to transform that club in 12 months. They for most of us, I'am sure looked like Premiers winning 15 games in a row after a Round One defeat. They are strong around the footy have good targets and run a strong club. I think 2020 with all the changes will be there year.

Federal booked their way into finals on the back of core players. No player played more than 13 of the 15 games this season at the club but they had a core of 8-10 players who played the majority of the games rain, hail and shine. If the club can keep these players they will be in a better place, but with the number of players travelling up the hill this remains to be seen. Player injury and unavailability ruined any chances of a Grand Final birth for 2019 and if not it could be a tough season for the Swans in player retention numbers being one of their biggest issues. At times playing 12-13-15 players in games during the middle part of the season.

Tumbarumba started the season strong and their biggest moment was beating Feds at home during the middle part of the year. They lacked a key position player and got shown up in the last two outings with Federal beating them heavily both times. It must have been hard for them with no future during the year to recruit players for 2020. They would need some key personnel to resign for them to improve for the next season

Corryong would have been happy to see the end of the season. They seem to have had a strong list and started the season with reserves. Their season highlight was beating Federals in Round 8. They really need a strong recruiting off season in the same way of 2016/2017 when they recruited a small group of top end talent from Barnawartha in the TDFL.

Border Walwa need some intervention going forward. They are in a real tough position as we speak, but rumours of new coaching panels look to hopefully pull them from the bottom of the ladder. They really couldn't close the gap on any teams during the year and struggled for player retention during 2019.


Hopefully everyone has enjoyed the rambles of 2019.
 

Rip vanwinkel

All Australian
Jul 1, 2012
920
649
AFL Club
Carlton
So Monday is D Day for Bullioh.
Whilst gaining the support of the UMFNL Clubs I think convincing the TDFL Clubs is going to be a much more difficult proposition.
If they don’t get in will they go around again in the UMFNL?
 

Fruit

Premiership Player
Jul 24, 2012
3,309
3,620
AFL Club
Collingwood
So Monday is D Day for Bullioh.
Whilst gaining the support of the UMFNL Clubs I think convincing the TDFL Clubs is going to be a much more difficult proposition.
If they don’t get in will they go around again in the UMFNL?
You would think that the majority of TDFL sides will vote against it. Many of those clubs are struggling for either 2nds or 3rds already so would potentially see Bullioh as another drain on players.
 

The Toecutter

All Australian
Feb 25, 2007
755
52
wodonga
AFL Club
Essendon
So Monday is D Day for Bullioh.
Whilst gaining the support of the UMFNL Clubs I think convincing the TDFL Clubs is going to be a much more difficult proposition.
If they don’t get in will they go around again in the UMFNL?
Bullioh would go around again I'd think, as for their 2's those poor blokes might have to pull on a Walwa jumper to keep them in the comp. If Bullioh and the merged Upper Murray team went in 2021 there would be more player numbers that would filter down onto other clubs lists.
 

Fruit

Premiership Player
Jul 24, 2012
3,309
3,620
AFL Club
Collingwood
Bullioh would go around again I'd think, as for their 2's those poor blokes might have to pull on a Walwa jumper to keep them in the comp. If Bullioh and the merged Upper Murray team went in 2021 there would be more player numbers that would filter down onto other clubs lists.
A Bullioh Player was in the paper today signing to coach Mitta twos. Maybe a few Bullioh Guys will follow him.
 
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