Wimmera FL discussion 2025

[bigtorp67]

What player movement have we heard of for 2026?

Rumours of Flynn Toner from ararat rats moving to ararat eagles. Didn’t play seniors this season. Must be something happening behind the scenes.

 

[DavidBourkeKickingClinic]

Is Ararat looking to move to Ballarat League?

WHY? They've been in the WFNL for almost 90 years.

 

[Manang Rover]

WHY? They've been in the WFNL for almost 90 years.

heard a rumour

 

[Munners]

As mentioned before, if Ararat moved to Ballarat it would be terrible for the juniors.
The Mininera clubs that get players out of Ararat would be stoked though.

 

[onekickwonder]

Each sides best recruit of season 2025
Ararat - Brayden draffin
Thunder - Jarrod Stokes
Nhill - Clay Shadforth
Stawell - Paul Summers
Dimboola - Simon Hobbs/Jono Ross
Minyip - Liam Kidd
Saints - Keegan Mellington
Warrack - Sam Hanna
Demons - Bronte Campbell

 

[SpecialBruce]

Sam Williams got one vote btw. League has put up the full medal results on facebook.

Next year will be his year.

 

[SpecialBruce]

heard a rumour

That rumour has been going around for years.

 

[SpecialBruce]

What player movement have we heard of for 2026?

Warriors signing a bunch of Swifts.

 

[Manang Rover]

That rumour has been going around for years.

why doesnt wimmera and district league talk about promotion relegation system, same with Harrow Balmoral winning year on year!
Would I be right in saying when SM giants won 2 flags in a row, Harrow Balmoral sooked it up?

 

[SpecialBruce]

why doesnt wimmera and district league talk about promotion relegation system, same with Harrow Balmoral winning year on year!
Would I be right in saying when SM giants won 2 flags in a row, Harrow Balmoral sooked it up?

Relegation might happen once the two leagues merge. Might be two divisions depending on who is forced to merge

 

[Manang Rover]

Relegation might happen once the two leagues merge. Might be two divisions depending on who is forced to merge

what timeline would you think that would look like happening? Which clubs up there in district league are struggling to survive??

 

[DavidBourkeKickingClinic]

what timeline would you think that would look like happening? Which clubs up there in district league are struggling to survive??

THere's WFNL clubs struggling to stay afloat too.

 

[ItsJustaGame]

what timeline would you think that would look like happening? Which clubs up there in district league are struggling to survive??

About half of them don’t have a very good looking future

 

[SpecialBruce]

The clubs without juniors are ****ed.

 

[jwshrive]

The recent rule change regarding age groups and insurance has not helped those clubs short on juniors either (ie, kids must be top age 11s or 14s to play a grade higher, even if the club and their parents are happy for them to play up). We have kids who would be more than capable filling in for a higher grade (including 17s into Reserves), but because they are not top age it is not allowed - with multiple permit requests being knocked back throughout the season. It's created a ridiculous situation and a mountain of paperwork, but AFL Victoria just won't listen.

My two cents on the leagues is I cannot see a merger or promotion/relegation happening anytime in the next 20 years. I was all for exploring it pre-COVID, and post-COVID there was enough goodwill between the clubs and leagues that things were less cutthroat for a while. If it was ever going to happen, that was the environment to do it in. But now all of that is in the rearview mirror and most clubs have returned to self-preservation mode as best they can. There's still feelers being put out behind the scenes, but I would be surprised if any clubs in either league merge before next year because any of the likley partnerships have one club at least doing well at present.

A great and timely article on our Under 14s: https://theweeklyadvertiser.com.au/articles/nhills-team-of-champions/?section=1046 As their coach stated, seven or eight of the kids involved have a Karen background. That's a third of a side, and without them we wouldn't have had a junior team. And that's from a town with 1,800 people. Finding juniors, and keeping them involved, is getting harder and harder for the smaller clubs (in football and netball) and if you look at the premiership lists in juniors over the past couple of decades there isn't a lot of variety. Credit to Horsham's Under 14 coach though - in his speech he really paid tribute to all our boys had done throughout the season, and he knew regardless of the result this was a big success story for our club and our town.

 

[PerMitchCleary]

WHY? They've been in the WFNL for almost 90 years.

they said a few weeks ago on the radio that they have lost faith in the league. real shame it wasn't uploaded as a podcast by 3WM was a interesting listen

 

[Brian BT Taylor]

with the talks of Ararat to the BFNL it begs the question, why did Horsham never move when their seniors were dominating? what was holding them back?

 

[SpecialBruce]

they said a few weeks ago on the radio that they have lost faith in the league. real shame it wasn't uploaded as a podcast by 3WM was a interesting listen

They are just generating discussion

 

[Brian BT Taylor]

what timeline would you think that would look like happening? Which clubs up there in district league are struggling to survive??

The clubs without juniors are ****ed.

NQ has no u15/u17's netball
Nati has no u17's footy
Harrow has no u8's or 11's
kalkee has no u8's
kaniva has no u15's/u17's - no u8's and a merged 14'17's
laharum no u8's
rup has no u8's
Tlake has no u8's +merged u14's
Edehope has merged 14's/17's

leaving Stawell and pimp the only clubs to fill every grade as far as i am aware.

with all that said i beleive that kaniva, edenhope, Tlake and Rup are all struggling to keep their head above the water

 

[onekickwonder]

Tanner Smith

Tanner Smith

Age

32

Ht

196cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.8

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

4.8

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.3

4star

MG

151.7

2star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.8

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.3

4star

MG

151.7

3star

to kalkee

 

[ItsJustaGame]

how many clubs would want a merger right now if they could have their own way? Rup, Taylors, Edenhope?

 

[ItsJustaGame]

with the talks of Ararat to the BFNL it begs the question, why did Horsham never move when their seniors were dominating? what was holding them back?

I’d imagine having to drive at least 2 hours every second week could contribute a little

 

[Brian BT Taylor]

how many clubs would want a merger right now if they could have their own way? Rup, Taylors, Edenhope?

well maybe 2023 i think it was Tlake released a formal staement that laharum and them had been in talkes but laharum didnt want the merger and they also stated that they spoke to another team about the possivility of a merger whom was not revealed but can confrirm that they approached rup who also knocked them back.

No one wants to merge with Tlake because are they bringing to the table?

Edenhope and kaniva merger is the most likely one. but like a 5o drive between them still.

Rup and minyip is a likely option for rup. but couldnt imagine minyip wanting a merg as of yet

Harrow will be needing a merger in the next 20 years, their supply of kids and talent is going to run out unless they sart importing. a merg with edenhope for them would make sense but i beleive harrow beleive they are 'too good' for edenhope
in a sense

Credits to laharum though, have really brought their club from the dead in the last 3 years.

 

[Manang Rover]

Tanner Smith to kalkee

Good get for them, should go to SM Thunder!! Played against his old man, gun footballer for Jep/Rainbow

 

[Manang Rover]

well maybe 2023 i think it was Tlake released a formal staement that laharum and them had been in talkes but laharum didnt want the merger and they also stated that they spoke to another team about the possivility of a merger whom was not revealed but can confrirm that they approached rup who also knocked them back.

No one wants to merge with Tlake because are they bringing to the table?

Edenhope and kaniva merger is the most likely one. but like a 5o drive between them still.

Rup and minyip is a likely option for rup. but couldnt imagine minyip wanting a merg as of yet

Harrow will be needing a merger in the next 20 years, their supply of kids and talent is going to run out unless they sart importing. a merg with edenhope for them would make sense but i beleive harrow beleive they are 'too good' for edenhope
in a sense

Credits to laharum though, have really brought their club from the dead in the last 3 years.

im not a big fan of BT but I like your comments above!