Sport
23 February, 2023
Half a dozen
A COMBINATION Bendigo junior side will make the sixth team in AFL Central Victoria’s new under 18 football competition. League manager Michael Hartley said the Dockers would be drawn from Loddon Valley and Bendigo league club players. Dockers will...
A COMBINATION Bendigo junior side will make the sixth team in AFL Central Victoria’s new under 18 football competition.
League manager Michael Hartley said the Dockers would be drawn from Loddon Valley and Bendigo league club players.
Dockers will join former Loddon Valley clubs Pyramid Hill, Inglewood, Bridgewater, Marong and East Loddon when competition starts after Easter.
Hartley told clubs on Tuesday that the draw would be released early next month and ideas “currently being evaluated” included playing matches on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday nights.
“The players then enjoy stand-alone match days. Their friends and family can watch them play and the players are available to attend their home clubs matches on Saturday,” Hartley told clubs.
However, some Loddon Valley clubs have already indicated they want junior football to remain on Saturdays to boost community engagement and participation.
When Loddon Valley decided last year to exit the junior stage and hand the competition to AFL Central Victoria, there was the expectation that its clubs would play the majority of matches at Loddon grounds.
“The Dockers side would be comprised of Bendigo Football League players that are not selected to play for their local club’s under 18 team and Loddon Valley clubs who cannot field a team,” according to Hartley.
“It is important that those guys have somewhere to play on the weekend, rather than missing out on a week of football.
“Our aim with this new competition is to firstly, provide for as many 17–18-year-old boys an opportunity to be part of a team/community through playing football.
“Secondly, to try and keep these boys as connected to and involved with to their local club as possible.”
Hartley told clubs there could be a bye on April 29 for players to attend the “licensed all ages event” Groovin’ the Moo rock concert in Bendigo.
And he flagged a “mullet” charity round with prizes for the best hairstyles.
“We’d try appeal to those young guys and keep them connected to football by thinking outside the box.”
Hartley said plans to release a fixture in March, just weeks before the season start on April 15 were because “we want to wait to maximise the number of teams who will be involved and are also looking at different scheduling of games”.
AFL Central Victoria last year left the door open for Heathcote and Bendigo league clubs to be part of the new competition.
READ MORE ABOUT THE LODDON JUNIOR FOOTBALL SCENE INB YOUR LODDON HERALD OUT NOW