Southern Football Netball League: Hampton Hammers desperately short of players

Southern league Division 2 club Hampton has called an emergency meeting as it battles a shortage of players.

Jake Timms goes up for Hampton Hammers. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Southern league club Hampton is in a fight for survival.

Two weeks out from the season, the Hammers are desperately short of players and have called a “call-to-arms’’ meeting on Tuesday night.

The Southern league board will discuss their plight on Monday.

Southern club development officer Travis Switzer has been working with Hampton for two weeks to try to build numbers at training and offer administrative support.

He said today there had been about 10 retirements from last season, when the seniors finished with one win and 11 losses in Division 2.

Other players have put in for clearances.

Switzer said Covid “hasn’t helped’’ a club with an ageing list.

“We’ve been ringing around to all past players and the players who played last year, and last night there was only 10 on the track,’’ he said.

“It’s looking pretty dire – I don’t want to underplay it – and the message that needs to go out is if they can’t recruit 15 to 20 players in the next week, they’re probably not going to have a team.

“It’s really distressing for the people on the committee. The club’s been around for a long time. It has a long and proud history.’’

Hampton Hammers have made a “call to arms’’.

Hampton was formed in 1947 as Hampton Methodist Football Club, later changing its name to Hampton United and then, in 2000, to Hampton.

Switzer said the Hammers were in a strong financial position.

“By no means are they giving up. They’re really keen to turn it around,’’ he said.

This afternoon on social media Hampton said it had “fallen on hard times’’.

“For lots of reasons, we find ourselves at a very difficult time,’’ it said.

“We need to recruit between 15 to 20 players in the next week or the club will have to make a decision to not enter football teams for 2022.

“That decision will not be taken lightly so we are inviting all past players, current players, club members and friends to a ‘call to arms’ meeting.’’

It will be held at Petersen St Reserve in Highett.

The club has appointed former Emerald senior coach and former VFL assistant Jamie Marshall as its new senior coach.