South Mornington Football Club in plea for new players
South Mornington Tigers are struggling to rouse players back on the ground since resuming from COVID-19.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
South Mornington has new clubrooms and is affiliated in a new competition.
It also has a desperate need for new players.
The Tigers are heading to the Southern Football Netball League after being cleared from the VAFA at the end of the 2019 but they’re worried about being able to field two senior teams.
Officials say the club is struggling to rouse players back to on to the ground after they sat out 2020 because of COVID-19.
Player numbers had been healthy before last season was eventually cancelled.
South Mornington president Colin O’Neill said the impact of the pandemic was “felt by community clubs far and wide’’ and the Tigers “weren’t immune to it’’.
He said some players hadn’t come back because of work and others had simply stopped playing.
The Tigers will start in Division 3 of the Southern league, which they joined to cut down travel times.
In 2019 they had struggled to get players to commit to away games, especially when the reserves dropped out of finals contention.
“The whole idea of going to Southern was to get everyone interested and we looked like having a really good 2020 – we had plenty of numbers, our numbers were excellent,’’ O’Neill said.
“But of course COVID happened, no one played and now we’re trying to get them back into football for this season.
“We’re not the only football club in the same situation.’’
The club – which has a new $4 million pavilion at Citation Reserve in Mt Martha – started as a senior entity by fielding a reserves team in the Southern league in 2005.
It joined the amateurs in 2007 and won the Division 4 flag in 2012.
Both of the VAFA clubs who have switched to Southern this year, South Mornington and Narre South Saints (formerly St Francis Xavier Old Collegians), have been placed in Division 3.
Clubs in Division 4 had turned down the chance to go to the next grade.
“We’re the new kids on the block and it is what it is,’’ O’Neill said.
South Mornington is training on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Citation Oval, Helena St, Mt Martha from 6pm.
Practice matches are planned for March, and O’Neill said any past and potential players were welcome to pull on the boots.
Contact numbers: Terry Brennan (senior coach) on 0413 889 938 and Colin O’Neill (president) on 0414 517 839.
Every signing of the WFNL off-season
The WFNL off-season has only just started but some clubs have already well and truly started making moves for 2025. Keep up to date with every signing in our signing tracker.
‘Shook me up’: Ex-AFL player’s concussion toll, uncertain future
Dion Johnstone has changed local teams, but the former Melbourne player is well aware his career is in a delicate position after a concerning number of head knocks.