Crisis meeting called to help save Southern league club Moorabbin

Two weeks out from the season, Moorabbin Kangaroos are in a battle to survive. The club has issued a “call to arms’’.

Captain Shaun Jackson marks for Moorabbin.

Southern league club Moorabbin is in a fight for survival.

The Kangaroos have made a “call to arms’’ in response to the dwindling player numbers that led to the resignation of new coach Mick Rossborough.

Rossborough stood down after 10 players trained last Tuesday and Thursday.

Promoting it as “Save our Club’’, Moorabbin has arranged a meeting at its Widdop Cresent rooms at 7pm on Thursday in what it said last night was a “last-ditch effort to help save our beloved football club’’.

It is appealing for past and present players, supporters and members to attend.

“We are currently facing the harsh reality of potentially folding due to the unfortunate lack of commitment and support in the upcoming 2021 football season,’’ the club said in a statement.

“We have overcome adversity many times throughout our club’s history, but we are currently on the brink of non-existence if action is not taken.

“We understand everybody is also dealing with their own unique circumstances and situations, particularly given the year we’ve just been through. So we plead, only if you are in a position to do so, if you could help the club in some capacity it would be immensely appreciated.

The Kangaroos last won a premiership in 2012, under the coaching of David Stynes.

“After a positive approach to the 2020 season with great numbers at training and a buzz around the club, the season was called off and since, there has been a steady decline in players committing to the club.

“We ask for any players sitting on the fence considering whether to play or not please come forward and be a part of resurrecting the club, the clubs rich history is too important to let slide this easy.’’

The statement added: “Next year we should be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our last senior premiership and unfortunately at our current rate there will be no club left to celebrate anything.’’

Vice-president Muhammad Kiki, who played in Moorabbin’s 2005 Division 3 premiership, said the club would do all it could to go on.

“There’s still a bit of light there,’’ he said.

“But we’ll need people to get behind the club – or we will fold.’’

Rossborough said yesterday he was saddened by the plight of the Division 4 club, which was formerly known as Moorabbin West.

He said it needed not only players but committee members to support long-serving secretary Marg Torpy.

“It was just really disappointing how the whole thing worked out really,’’ Rossborough said.

“I kept getting told we’d get all these players coming down once the cricket season was over because we had blokes playing in cricket finals and then I started hearing rumours they wouldn’t be coming down and a few of them were going up country.

“So last week, it showed I basically didn’t have a team to coach.

“We had a crisis meeting three weeks ago and about 12 to 15 people turned up and they all said the players would be coming but I didn’t see them.

“I put in two months at the place, I did everything I could but I didn’t have a team. It’s got nothing to do with talent or anything like that. It’s a lack of players.

“You don’t like seeing footy clubs struggle like Moorabbin struggling.’’

Southern league CEO Lee Hartman.

Southern league CEO Lee Hartman said the league had been in contact with other clubs well off for numbers to see if any of their surplus players could play at Moorabbin under permit.

He said the league would be happy for them to field one team and avoid going into recess.

The Kangaroos last won a premiership in 2012, when they defeated Sandown Cobras in the Division 3 grand final under the coaching of David Stynes, the brother of Brownlow Medal champion Jimmy.