South Gambier Football Club thrives in newly-created league, creating history with grand final berth
From not even knowing if they could field a team this year, to playing in a grand final. Here is the amazing story of how South Gambier Football Club went from zero to hero in a newly-created league.
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South Gambier Football Club was in limbo three months ago.
The Western Border Football League, which the Demons lined up in, had just cancelled its 2020 season after Victorian-based club Casterton-Sandford pulled out amid COVID-19 border restrictions.
Players and coaches were preparing for a year out of footy.
And – for a club which had finished as wooden spooners and second bottom the past two seasons – the outlook was a grim one.
But South was handed a lifeline with a Limestone Coast Football League formed involving SA clubs from the region’s three cancelled competitions.
The Demons thrived in the new six-round competition, making the grand final, only to lose to Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara side Mundulla by 10 points.
South Gambier president Wayne Glynn said players were desperate to get a season underway this year and believed the new competition was a success.
“We wanted to play,” Glynn said.
“We’ve got lots of young blokes and they were very keen to play so that made it easier for us to push the button and get things moving.
“For them to be able to get out, run around with their mates and have a few drinks at the club was really important.
“We had a fantastic year.”
Despite the grand final result, Glynn was proud of his club.
“It’s always disappointing to make a grand final and not win,” Glynn said.
“But in the previous two years we finished bottom and second bottom in the Western Border League.
“If someone said at the start of the year we’d play in the grand final and get beaten by Mundulla, who were probably favourites at the start of the year, we would’ve been pretty happy with that.”
The future of the Western Border Football League is still under a cloud with Victoria struggling to contain its second wave of the coronavirus outbreak.
But Glynn hoped the success of the combined Limestone Coast competition would encourage the SANFL to look at creating a new league comprising of other teams from the south east.
“We’d like to see a wider league in this region and maybe encapsulate some of those mid-south east or Naracoorte clubs in a better league,” he said.
“We also think it would drive a better standard of football.”
The Demons will have a new coach lead them wherever they play in 2021.
Former mentor Branson Saffin stepped down with Brayden Kain taking over as player/coach.
Kain, who was an assistant this year, looked forward to leading the club.
“It was good we had the support from the surrounding leagues and the presidents to form this new league that we starred in,” Kain, 28, said.
“It’s good to see country footy is still well and alive and there’s passion there because it would’ve been detrimental if we had sat back and waited for 2021 to come around.
“(Coaching) is something I’ve looked forward to, I’ve just had to wait for the right time and the opportunity.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity the club has in front of us for the future.”
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Contact Jessica Ball at jessica.ball@news.com.au
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