Western Rams members to have say on club’s future in Riddell District

Western Rams, the club with Victoria’s longest losing streak, is weighing up its place in the Riddell District competition with members set to vote on its future.

Western Rams members will have their say on the club’s playing future next month.

The Rams have announced a special general meeting on October 18 to discuss their playing future.

The Rockbank-based club is weighing up its future in the Riddell District league with a move to the neighbouring Western Region competition on the agenda.

Western Rams currently holds the longest losing streak in Victorian suburban football at 69 games.

The club’s last win came in 2018 against Broadford, which is no longer in the competition, and endured an average losing margin of 93 points this season.

Geoffrey Jolly in action for Western Rams. Picture: Andy Brownbill

It was kept to one goal or less in eight matches and the smallest losing margin was 58 points in Round 1 when Dane Swan was a guest player.

Outgoing president Helena Gonebale said the club needed to consider how best to turn its fortunes around.

“We’re in the process of exploring the move (to the WRFL), we’ve spoken to both the RDFNL and WRFL and expressed our concerns about the club’s future and what a move might mean,” Gonebale said.

“Those conversations are still ongoing but we want to take the proposal to the members.

“The Rams have struggled for the last five or six years in the senior and reserves football competition.

“That makes it very difficult to recruit and retain players of a RDFNL calibre given there’s only one division.

“We’ve recruited some incredible talent and had some really good coaches but it’s still not converting into wins.

“With the WRFL having multiple (football) divisions puts us in a better place, one to be able to recruit and retain because the likelihood of getting some wins and having some success is more realistic.

“And the junior competition, we lost our junior teams last year, and recruiting with the competition we have in the local area we’ve lost a lot of our junior players.”

The Rams have tasted success in the Riddell District netball competition.

The club claimed back-to-back C-Grade netball premierships this season.

However, Gonebale said expected change during the off-season could put further pressure on the club.

“We expect considerable changes to our netball program next year, our netball program has been one of the major reasons we’ve maintained our place in the RDFNL and seen a lot of success there,” she said.

“We know there’s going to be significant change there next year and because of that, it’s something the members may consider.

“The pressure of fielding a full netball program, that is taken off.”

The Western Rams, formerly known as Rockbank, did compete in the Western Region league from 1992 to 1999 before switching to the RDFNL.

The club’s decision on its league future is expected to have an impact on its coaching and playing group for 2024.

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“We’re going out to tender for all official appointments,” Gonebale said.

“I’ve announced that I won’t be re-nominating (for president) but I’m working with the club and we expect to see a number of new committee members.

“Potentially, we’ll see a new coaching group unless Leroy and his assistants want to apply.

“The decision we land on in relation to the league will probably impact that.”

The Riddell District is set to welcome Kyneton into the league next season, which would have erased the current bye the league has.