Country footy: Ardmona to sit on the sidelines again next season in KDFNL

A northern Victorian footy club coached by Shane Crawford in 2021 will be in recess for a second straight season but it is not all doom and gloom.

Ardmona believes it can bounce back in 2024 despite being set to sit out a second straight country footy season.

The Bushcats went into recess for 2022, a year on from Hawthorn legend Shane Crawford’s stint as coach.

And they won’t take to the field in 2023 after missing the deadline to rejoin the Kyabram District Football Netball for next season.

In a statement to Leader, the club said work was well underway for a possible return in two years.

“The club will go into recess again in 2023 due to a number of factors including volunteers and new members of committee,” the club said.

“We know the players will come when we announce the senior and reserves coaches to the public in 2023.

“The remaining members of the club are not giving up that easy.

“Bring it on 2024.”

The club said the team was not in a financial crisis and also disputed the deadline revealed by the Kyabram District Football Netball League (KDFNL).

“The deadline we were given by KDL was by September 25,” the club said.

“We are finding out that he (Fraser Kerrins) is saying November 9 was the deadline to rejoin the league by.

“We as the club don't know why he says that now but doesn’t tell us that at all.

“We are pretty annoyed by that.

“Even we had a couple people who wanted to help out and had a coach who wanted to have more time to get organised but the KDL set that date (September 25) when he had a few days to arrange something but wasn‘t enough time.”

EARLIER

The future of the Ardmona Football Netball Club is in severe doubt after confirmation the club will be in recess for a second straight season in 2023.

Leader can reveal the club has failed to register to rejoin as a member of the Kyabram District Football Netball League (DKFNL).

It is required to do so if it wants to play next season.

Ardmona has been a member of the competition since 1957 before announcing it would recess this year from all competitions due to a shortage of playing numbers.

The club needed to confirm their registration to the KDFNL 28 days before the competition’s annual general meeting, which will be held on December 7.

November 9 was the last day for the club to signal their interest but KDFNL president Fraser Kerrins said the club was too late to submit their entry.

“We have been in communication with them about 2023,” the president revealed.

“For them to return to our league they have to reapply for their membership to be made active and at this point they haven't indicated that they wish to be in the active space.

“It (the application) had to be prior to today (November 9) because we have to disclose that to the clubs on the 28th day prior to the AGM.

“They are in a situation where they are likely to take their second year of a recess to try to build with hopes they are back in 2024.”

Ardmona will now need to wait until 2024 to start playing again or end as a club.

If the club chooses to fold it would end a 102-year-old team.

Started in 1920, at the home of SPC fruits, the club started in the Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association in 1926.

The team won four premierships in 1932, 1933, 1935 and 1936 in the competition before joining the Goulburn Valley Football Association to play from 1937 to 1945.

Ardmona moved to the Central Goulburn Valley Football League in 1946 and won their first and only premiership in the competition in 1947 before moving into recess for the first time in 1950.

AFL legend Shane Crawford took over as coach of the Ardmona Cats in 2021. Picture: David Caird

Since 1957 the club has been in the KDFNL, winning five premierships with the last coming in 2006.

For the past few years the club has struggled with finances and players and famously won their first game in more than 2000 days when Hawthorn legend Shane Crawford took over as coach in 2021.

The club has produced two VFL/AFL players in its lifetime with Fred Payne and Ray Preston playing for Essendon and South Melbourne respectively.