Country football crisis: Bush battlers kicked out of league

On the eve of its 100-year anniversary, the Ardmona Football Club has been kicked out of its country league, a devastating blow for one of Australia’s worst sides.

Ardmona players back in 2013.

Bush footy battlers Ardmona have been booted from the competition they play in, leaving them stranded on the verge of their centenary season.

The Cats say they are “heartbroken” by the Kyabram District Football Netball League’s decision on Tuesday night to suspend their membership.

But the northern Victorian club, one of Victoria’s worst after not having won a senior game since 2015, has vowed to fight on.

Players celebrated hard after a rare win in 2013.

Significant media attention around the club just outside of Shepparton’s plight has seen its GoFundMe fundraising page jump to almost $10,000 in less than two weeks.

The Cats needed at least $20,000 to pay off their debts to have a chance of securing their place in the KDFNL for their 100th season next year.

But during a special meeting last night, the league voted to suspend Ardmona’s membership.

“We are absolutely heartbroken and lost for words,” the club wrote on its Facebook page.

“Our fundraising efforts will continue as will our committee’s hard work in bringing Ardy back. The fight’s not over.”

The club’s beloved mascot, Billy the Bush Cat.

KDFNL president Fraser Kerrins said it was an “emotive” decision at the special meeting to suspend Ardmona’s membership from the league.

But the league’s board and its 14 other clubs came to the united decision on Tuesday night.

“It was a consensus across the board for Ardmona to be suspended and allow them to get their on field and offield structures, including their finances, into place,” Kerrins told the Herald Sun.

“Ardmona have recently appointed some really good people to the board, but unfortunately it’s probably 12-18 months too late.

“(Ardmona president) Tim (Magann) has done a wonderful job in the years he’s been president but only now is he getting the right support he needs.

“Clubs don’t take a decision like this lightly to suspend another club’s membership from the league, but Ardmona need to go away and get themselves right.”

Kerrins stressed the call was only for one season and Ardmona could be reborn if they show the league they are ready to return.

He said in the second half of this season, the Cats were only able to field just three teams across seven netball grades, meaning four opposition sides couldn’t play each week.

To be reinstated into the league, Ardmona would need enough players in all football and netball grades, sponsors and secure finances.

Ardmona has been fighting to keep the lights on in recent years, as a lack of players and financial troubles has led to dire on-field results.

Since their last senior grand final appearance in 2008, times have been grim for the Cats.

Just last year, Ardmona kicked only one goal in a Sportsbet-run “Battle of the Battlers” game, going down by a whopping 211 points against Eastern Football League club Nunawading.

Nunawading dominated Ardmona in September last year. Picture: James Ross

The Cats were forced to pull their senior football team from the league in 2017 and play solely in the reserves after uncompetitive performances to open the season.

This year, the club’s seniors and reserves failed to win a game and finished on the bottom of the ladder.

Ardmona’s senior team finished with a percentage of 10.6 and were belted by a league record margin of 62.30 (402) to 0.1 (1) in July.

Their last win came in July 2015.

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@ollycaffrey