Several Northern league clubs are showing the way to building success, rather than buying it

The shift is on among Northern league clubs as the focus turns to building local success on homegrown talent, rather than buying it, league insider Darin Compt writes.

Paul Higgins in action for Whittlesea. Picture: George Sal

A new dawn is breaking in local footy.

More and more clubs are moving away from the old pay-to-play model and choosing to build success from within.

It’s a shift the game has been crying out for.

Like anything tied to money, the spending bubble eventually bursts.

There’s no bottomless pit of cash, and those who’ve relied on it are starting to feel the cracks.

Clubs like Laurimar, Whittlesea and St Mary’s are leading the way.

They are resisting the temptation to spend big and instead are investing in their own people, developing talent, culture, and long-term sustainability.

It’s not just admirable, it’s smart.

In business, they say slow, consistent growth is the key and that’s just as true in local football.

Some clubs have fallen into the trap of spending heavily to chase short-term success but what’s the real win?

A quick flag followed by years of struggle? Or a decade of sustained competitiveness built on homegrown pride?

Take Ivanhoe.

Coming out of the Amateurs, it has backed a core group and taken a steady, strategic path.

No over-investing. Just good football and great culture.

And now the numbers are backing it up.

Across the divisions, clubs are proving that you don’t need to max out your points to be competitive.

In fact, the smarter clubs are doing more with less.

Whittlesea is a proud example of what local footy should be.

Sitting 21 points under the cap, it continues to punch above its weight while maintaining a deep connection with its community.

And Diamond Creek? It’s not just winning, they’re winning with their own.

Local talent, loyalty, and unity are driving a side with one of the best percentages in footy.

Hurstbridge, too, is turning heads with 13 points to spare, it’s showing you can remain ultra-competitive at the top level while building a club with the future in mind not just chasing a quick hit.

Not every club has the luxury of a junior pathway or strong local base, so will still need to attract talent with other incentives — be it employment opportunity, connection, or yes, money.

All but 10 clubs have direct junior pathways either in the Northern league or Yarra Juniors.

Northcote Park (Northcote), Old Paradians (Parade-St Damians), Watsonia (Mill Park), Lower Plenty (Research), Heidelberg West (Keon Park) have junior club affiliations.

North Heidelberg, Old Eltham Collegians, Fitzroy Stars, Reservoir and Lalor have no junior club connection.

However, the trend is clear. Clubs are getting smarter, more community-driven, and more sustainable.

Powerhouse clubs such as Montmorency, Heidelberg and Greensborough base their squads on homegrown talent, allowing them to supplement their squads with high-profile recruits.

Something else worth remembering, local footy is a community. It’s built on loyalty, connection, and a deep love for the game.

While premierships are always the goal, they can’t come at the cost of dramatic rises and devastating falls and the health of the club must matter as much as the silverware.

That’s why equalisation is the path forward but a single system that suits all clubs? That’s a fantasy.

Every club is different. What we need is smart, flexible frameworks that reward development, sustainability, and community engagement, not just spending power.

Reservoir and Lalor are two unfortunate case studies.

The Mustangs splashed the cash back in 2015, won a premiership but paid a heavy price.

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The club was forced into recess and has won a handful of games in the decade since.

Meanwhile, the junior talent that forged the Bloods into a Division 1 power in the 1990s has dried up and the club is now struggling to find numbers.

Chasing quick success at any cost or building clubs that stand the test of time?

The message is clear, the future belongs to those who build it from the ground up.