NRL Bush Beat: Orara Valley Axemen on the brink of collapse
The Orara Valley Axemen – a club with 36 years of history, eight premierships and star players and backers like Mark “Spud” Carroll and Russell Crowe – are in serious danger of folding.
NRL
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The Orara Valley Axemen will wait until the 11th hour to recruit enough players to avoid the club folding and ending 36 years of history.
The Axemen — a club of eight premierships and star players and backers like Mark “Spud” Carroll and Russell Crowe — are in serious danger of continuing in the Group 2 competition.
A lack of player numbers has forced Orara Valley to call a crisis meeting last Sunday in a bid to save their beloved club.
Coach Willy Lockwood has already decided to step down as a result of poor player commitment and low attendance at training.
Orara Valley president Peter Spinks said the club would give itself every chance to secure the required players to compete this season.
The Axemen have until February 24 to lock in a team for 2020.
“We won’t give up without a fight – that is what this club has been built on,” Spinks said.
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“We are still actively on social media looking for players and talking to other players about attending training to give us the best chance of securing a first grade squad.”
Orara Valley’s potential demise is devastating news for Carroll given he bled for the club during a post NRL career stint in 2003.
When he retired from the big time in 1999 he was told he would never run again after suffering a foot injury.
But one phone call from Crowe, a long-time supporter of the Axemen and a proud local who owns a Nana Glen property, was enough to convince Carroll to don the boots again.
“I had a tremendous time at Orara Valley, so it would be sad if they had to fold,” Carroll told The Sunday Telegraph.
“You can’t beat country footy. I’m glad that I played for the Axemen. I was 36 and I got a chance to play league again. It was closure for me to run around again.
“Russell has no doubt put a lot of money into the club over the years but he can’t fix them all the time.
“But it would be horrible if they folded, not only for the Axemen, but for rugby league because they’ve been a big part of the game up there.”
The former Penrith, Manly and South Sydney prop has fond memories of Crowe flying him to and from Axemen matches.
“Everyone thought I was going up in a learjet, but I just went up on a normal Qantas aeroplane,” he said.
“I was going up Tuesday and coming back Wednesday, go Thursday come back Friday and then back on the Saturday for the game.
“I made so many trips – it was ridiculous.”
Carroll thoroughly enjoyed his one season stint with Orara Valley, even though he was often the target of players trying to take his head off to prove a point.
“They were all there trying to see if they could bash me, but I just made sure that I always got in first,” he joked.
“I remember a bloke from Port Macquarie wanted to be the next Chief, so I made sure that he was and I dropped him.
“You learn how to swing your arm a lot more when you are playing country footy.”
The Axemen released a statement to their players, supporters and members this week stressing their genuine fear for the future.
The letter made it clear that if they can’t secure a first grade player base then the club won’t be able to enter a team in the 2020 Group 2 competition.
This will result in players that have committed to the Axemen for the season being forced to join other clubs.
The Axemen believe their decline in player numbers is largely due to a dilution of players in the junior ranks and financially stronger clubs being in a better position to entice talent.
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Club president Peter Spinks isn’t giving up on the Axemen without a fight.
“It is critical that we are transparent with our members, players and the public because if people weren’t aware of the problem then it can’t be fixed.
“The reality is, if we cannot secure players and a head coach for the 2020 season, then the Axemen can’t remain in the competition.
“We understand that we are in trouble and we appreciate the support that we’ve been given.
“We are not going to sit back and expect anyone to solve our problems for us, but we are reaching out to former and current players, local businesses and the general public to rally behind the club.”
Orara Valley will hold their crisis meeting at the Coramba Sports Ground from 3pm.