General News
16 June, 2023
When problem could become solution
By CHRIS EARL THERE’S an air of confidence for the future of Loddon Valley football clubs. An air that was looking stale and tired 12 months ago when Maiden Gully pulled out of the under 18 competition. The circuit-breaking formation of East...
By CHRIS EARL
THERE’S an air of confidence for the future of Loddon Valley football clubs.
An air that was looking stale and tired 12 months ago when Maiden Gully pulled out of the under 18 competition.
The circuit-breaking formation of East Loddon Rams kept players around Calivil, Serpentine and Mitiamo in a local jumper.
They were not lost to Bendigo clubs, to increase the 110 players from Loddon postcodes already playing in younger age groups in the regional capital’s junior league.
Marong and Maiden Gully were lamenting no future, no pathways for their juniors if they stayed in the Loddon Valley league.
League president Simon Tuohey pushed for change to keep youth engaged. The competition was handed over to AFL Central Victoria for a new under 18 league.
Pyramid Hill accepted the challenge and revived its junior side for the first time since winning a flag in 2019.
But efforts by AFL Central Victoria to widen participation beyond Loddon clubs in the first year were not to materialise.
Michael Hartley was brought in by AFL Central Victoria to run the new league just two months before kick-off.
Hartley said the junior competition would make “senior clubs more sustainable” and he was looking to grow the five-team competition in 2024.
His guiding philosophy to build clubs is backed up by Inglewood stalwart Leigh Lamprell and league vice-president Richard Hicks.
Lamprell says that putting a team on the field was a win for his club. “And in our senior side, we’ve now got seven players who came up through our juniors,” Lamprell said.
Hicks said Mitiamo had been a big winner from formation of East Loddon Rams.
“They are giving kids the opportunity to play with their home club. We have to keep that.”
Coaches and administrators agree that what was the problem a year ago - doomsayers were predicting the demise of junior football across the Loddon - is fast emerging as the solution.
Lamprell said junior clubs went through cycles. “They can be on top and then lose 10 or 12 players when they get too old,” he said.
Continuing to put a team on the ground, says Lamprell, is part of the spirit of country football. “If you don’t have those kids, you also don’t have water boys and boundary umpires for the reserves or seniors,” he said.
He said the AFL under 18 competition had shown Loddon Valley clubs were committed for the future.
Tuohey agrees and says that under age football will continue to be available for local clubs.
“Our Loddon Valley junior clubs have a great spread of ages in the AFL Central Victoria competition,” he said.
“Country football is about participation. Over the last two years we have had a number of lads still playing junior football while being selected in the seniors.
“These clubs are fair dinkum about their local future and that’s not to be sneezed at.”
Tuohey also wants the competition, whether retained by AFL Central Victoria or returned to the Loddon Valley league, to be renamed.
“Let’s call it youth grade, remove the stigma that it’s under 18 and broaden participation,” Tuohey said.
The push by Marong and Maiden Gully to change leagues in 2024, has not diminished the resolve of Loddon clubs to keep the country game alive.
They say the resolve of 2023 might now be the solution at junior and senior level.
“Getting as many kids to play as possible is going to help clubs,” said Hartley.