‘There might not be a club in 5 years’

Future of Biloela sporting club up in the air with potential competition change

STAYING POSITIVE: The Biloela Panthers may undergo a competition relocation in 2020 with the potential dumping of the Reserve Grade team.

ONE OF BILOELA’S footy clubs could be without a team in 2020 due to dwindling player numbers.

Biloela Panthers club officials report that a decision will be made by the end of the week to see which competition the A Grade and U20s mens teams will play in 2020.

With player numbers at a low for the Biloela Panthers, president Pat Barron met with officials from the Rockhampton rugby league competition on Monday to discuss the potential dropping of the Panthers Reserve Grade side for 2020.

That would leave the club fielding an U20s and A Grade side this season.

“We just haven’t got the numbers and it costs us money if we can’t fill a side each week,” Barron said.

“We are staying positive because we have a good group of young fellas coming through in our U20s and they’re our future.

“When I took this president job on seven years ago we never had U20s and now those players back then are our A grade side.

“We have to keep our young fellas coming through the club otherwise we may not have any footy at all.”

Secretary Chloe Stevens said the club’s committee would find out the outcome of the meeting later this week, with the possibility of relocating the club into the Gladstone and Monto based competitions being explored.

“Rockhampton won’t allow us unless we field both A Grade and Reserves,” Stevens said.

“At this stage we are lucky to be fielding one team this year.

“We aren’t up to that standard in Rockhampton and the boys don’t wanna go out and get flogged every week.

“Playing in those other competitions gives us a better chance to restock our ranks and for the boys to have a good run and not get flogged.”

Stevens pointed out that her club isn’t the only one in the region that is continually struggling to field a consistent roster.

“We have a lot of shiftworkers here and that is a big aspect,: she said.

“These days it’s hard to find players and people that are moving here and a lot of places may not want to employ a football player due to the possibility of injury.”

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