General News
15 May, 2025
CASUAL CHATS - Tigers talk with LV league chiefs
By GARY WALSH LODDON Valley officials have had an informal talks with Macorna president Jacob McIntosh as speculation increases the Golden Rivers League club will seek to move south next season. The weekend chat followed Macorna’s official talks...
By GARY WALSH
LODDON Valley officials have had an informal talks with Macorna president Jacob McIntosh as speculation increases the Golden Rivers League club will seek to move south next season.
The weekend chat followed Macorna’s official talks with Golden Rivers last week as the league tries to shore up support for 2026 amid fears it could fold.
McIntosh said the discussions had involved the possibility of Golden Rivers merging with the more powerful 11-team Central Murray league and other options.
“Golden Rivers is still hopeful of remaining in existence, still trying to make something work,” he told the Loddon Herald.
“And we’re still working through all the possible challenges with the Golden Rivers board.”
Loddon Valley chair Richard Hicks and vice-chair Glenn Catto were both at Macorna’s match against Moulamein last Saturday.
McIntosh said the two officials “came up for a look around and a casual chat” after earlier being at the Pyramid Hill versus Bridgewater reserves match.
Hicks agreed with that description of their meeting.
He said Macorna “had asked for some information from us”, while insisting no official discussions had started.
Hicks said he was keen to see Macorna’s ground and get a feel for the club’s support, both of which he said were similar to what is found in the Loddon Valley league.
Pyramid Hill is geographically the closest Loddon Valley club to Macorna, whose players are forced to make an almost 500km round-trip to represent the Tigers against New South Wales side Hay.
Pyramid Hill is only 23km from Macorna, which sits just outside the boundaries of Loddon Shire, while the furthest Loddon Valley club from Macorna is Newbridge, just over an hour away.
The Central Murray league stretches from Cohuna in the south to Balranald in the north, largely along the course of the Murray River.
Balranald, across the border in New South Wales, is almost two hours’ driving time from Macorna, another long journey if the Tigers were to join a merged Central Murray-Golden Rivers competition.
Should Macorna decide to try to depart the Golden Rivers league it must apply for a transfer by June 30.
Hicks has made clear Loddon Valley’s intent to be seen as a viable option for any teams in neighbouring leagues which may seek or are forced to change competitions.
He has also said that Marong and Maiden Gully were likely to outgrow the Loddon Valley league due to their proximity to Bendigo and its huge catchment of players, especially at a junior level.
Both clubs have unsuccessfully sought transfers in recent years.