Ovens and Murray: Corowa-Rutherglen won’t field football teams in 2023
Corowa-Rutherglen’s only presence in the Ovens and Murray league this year will be three minor grade netball teams after a turbulent off-season.
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Corowa-Rutherglen won’t be fielding football teams in the Ovens and Murray league for the first time in its history with a huge task left to resurrect them for 2024.
The club put its three football teams and A and B grade netball sides into recess at a meeting on Monday night.
Its only presence in the major league will be C grade and two junior netball sides in a move agreed to by the league at the 11th hour.
Club president Graham Hosier said it remained “open to all options available for the greater good of football and netball in the region”.
“The position we are in cannot be taken lightly, and there are a lot of scenarios and conversations that will need to take place,” he said.
“We are open to all of these, and plan to continue to deliver open communication to our members on what has been formally discussed and agreed as it happens.”
O and M general manager Kane Arendarcikas said some last minute competition by-law changes paved the way for Corowa-Rutherglen netball teams to play this year.
“They will still be an active participant in the comp, but just not with a full complement of teams,” he said.
Another major hurdle to be overcome for the club is its flood damaged facilities at its home ground.
Federation Council, the landowner, is still awaiting final insurance and engineering assessment, but rebuilding them has been ruled out.
“Numerous discussions with the club and preliminary advice from the specialist is it would be not a good use of public or any funds to repair what is there,” council general manager Adrian Butler said.
“This is due primarily to its flood-prone status and age and not meeting modern day expectations and functionality in some areas.
“Council is very eager to continue working with the club and the AFL, state and federal governments for funding options for a complete rebuild, knowing this will take time and would not be a reality for 2024.
“However I think people are looking for the longer term with both the club on the field and courts as well as the facilities.”
Temporary changerooms are being sourced for the club’s three Albury-Wodonga Junior Football League teams to use this season.
Informal meetings with surrounding clubs playing in the Hume and Tallangatta and District leagues about potential merger scenarios have been held since Corowa-Rutherglen first flagged its intention to put teams into recess this year.
LESS MATCHES FOR RIVALS
Corowa-Rutherglen members will vote tonight to officially put the club into recess for 2023, leaving rival teams with a reduced amount of games and other fixturing headaches.
The Ovens and Murray league is entering uncharted territory as a result of Corowa-Rutherglen not playing, with serious doubts the club can return in 2024 as planned.
The remaining nine clubs are left with only 16 home and away matches, down from 18 in other years.
Wodonga is most affected by Corowa-Rutherglen’s absence with two three-week breaks between games.
Scheduled games against Corowa-Rutherglen unluckily coincide with a general bye for interleague in May and another general bye in late July.
Yarrawonga and Wangaratta Rovers also have games against Corowa-Rutherglen locked in before or after the two scheduled byes.
Lavington doesn’t play a home match between April 1 and May 13 with an early season home game against Corowa-Rutherglen disappearing.
The O and M has announced no changes to its 2023 fixture yet.
AFL Northeast Border will confirm later this week what player point allocations Corowa-Rutherglen players will carry to another club in 2023.
Last season’s best and fairest winner and O and M interleague representative Cameron Wilson is joining Yarrawonga and Cameron Barrett has signed with Wangaratta.
But the bulk of the club’s 2022 list won’t be playing in the O and M.
Jamie Seymour, who was going to coach Corowa-Rutherglen’s under-18s team this year before it also fell over, has joined East Gippsland league club Lucknow.
Lucknow coach Shaun Mooney is also a former Corowa-Rutherglen coach.
Steve Owen was appointed Corowa-Rutherglen coach for the 2023 and 2024 seasons in late December.
The long delay in securing a replacement for the coach of the past two seasons, Peter German, and not being able to retain players it already had, has played a major role in the club being forced into recess.
Corowa-Rutherglen is fielding teams in the Albury-Wodonga Junior Football League this year.
NO FOOTBALL IN 2023
Corowa-Rutherglen has gone from almost winning an Ovens and Murray under-18s football premiership last September to not having a team playing this year.
President Graham Hosier confirmed the under-18s would join its senior and reserves teams on the sidelines following a disastrous off-season player exodus.
Its presence in the O and M this season could be reduced to only a C grade and two underage netball teams.
“I’m shattered that we’re in the position we’re in,” Mr Hosier said.
“We had training the other week and only half a dozen (under 18s) players were there so we made the call there wouldn’t be any.
“A few have gone elsewhere and I can understand why.
“It’s where we’re at I’m afraid.”
It means the club will need to recruit and reclaim more than 70 players to field senior, reserves and under-18 teams in 2024.
One of the club’s brightest talents of recent seasons, Kaelen Bradtke, was handed the final senior list spot at Richmond on Tuesday.
The 195cm key position player blossomed under former coach Peter German to kick 39 goals from 17 senior appearances.
He kicked four goals in one match against eventual premiers Wangaratta and five against runner-up Yarrawonga.
Bradtke also played at VFL level for Sydney last year.
The under-18s had been training under new coach and former senior player Jamie Seymour after last year’s coach George Sandral returned to Hume league club Billabong Crows.
Last year, Corowa-Rutherglen’s under-18s lost the grand final to Wangaratta by only four points.
Mr Hosier said he was also frustrated in still having no access to its flood-ravaged facilities as the club awaits the completion of an insurance assessment.
“We can’t get into the rooms, we can’t move stuff, we can’t move forward,” he said.
“We still don’t know whether it will need a rebuild, or we can fix them up or they will be knocked down and start again.”
The club has teams competing in the Albury-Wodonga junior league this year and hopes to play at its home ground.
Kyabram District league club Rushworth has put is senior team in recess this year.
Meanwhile, one of Corowa-Rutherglen’s greatest players, Peter Chisnall, said he was shattered about its predicament.
Chisnall was appointed coach when a merger of the two clubs took place in 1979.
He said another merger was the only way out for the club.
“We’ve got to bury things that have held us back in the past,” he said.
“We dealt with it once before and we’ve got to do that again.
“If you want to stay in the Ovens and Murray everyone has to be on the same page.”
GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR REBOOT
Corowa-Rutherglen has been presented with a crucial pathway to holding on to players to help assist a successful reboot of its senior team in 2024.
Members will vote this month to place its open-age football teams into recess this year following a major exodus of players.
AFL Country rules state under “special circumstances” such as a club going into recess that it can permit their players to another club for 12 months rather than risk permanently losing them by clearing them.
The rules for clubs in recess state: “Permits cannot be issued for players to represent multiple clubs.
“Any player having played under the provisions of this rule and desiring to continue to play with the league club, shall only be permitted to do so upon applying for and receiving a clearance from their club (in recess) and league in the usual manner.
“This clearance must be applied for prior to July 1.
“Once the registered club comes out of recess all existing permits cease to exist in each case.”
The player transfer window only recently opened.
AFL Northeast Border regional manager Zac Hedin said: “It gives Corowa-Rutherglen a chance to keep a core group of players registered and connected to the club while playing on permit elsewhere.
“It also helps when they begin the task of recruiting other players for 2024.”
Leading Corowa-Rutherglen players to sign with other teams include reigning best and fairest winner Cameron Wilson, who will join O and M rival Yarrawonga, and Jared Lane, who is heading for Hume league club Howlong.
What individual points tally a Corowa-Rutherglen player carries with him to another club in 2023 is yet to be confirmed.
But it’s expected upon their return to Corowa-Rutherglen in 2024 there will be no penalty for changing clubs.
AFL Country rules also state the club could be given additional points to assist with the return.
O and M general manager Kane Arendarcikas said Corowa-Rutherglen’s situation was throwing up challenges daily.
He still hopes the club can retain a presence in the competition in 2023 with under-18s football and junior netball teams playing.
“If they’ve got a presence, they remain affiliated and it doesn’t become a club vote next year if they come back with all their sides,” he said.
“It’s all about coming up with the least worst outcome.
“We’re pretty bullish on any Corowa-Rutherglen registered player staying in the O and M as a first priority.”
The O and M has maintained there will be no changes to the 2023 fixture with the remaining nine clubs facing a season with five byes.
Wodonga suffers the most with its two scheduled games against Corowa-Rutherglen before a general bye for interleague in May and after another bye in late July.
It means Wodonga has three weeks between games.
RECESS PLANS CONFIRMED
Corowa-Rutherglen senior football and netball teams will sit out the 2023 Ovens and Murray Football-Netball League season with a vote to formalise the move held later in the month.
An estimated 200 people attended crisis talks last night in the wake of the club committee informing players on Monday night there was no likelihood of being able to field senior and reserves football teams following an exodus of 30 players since last year.
The club’s senior netball ranks have also been decimated after a challenging period for the A-grade premiership.
Georgie Bruce stepped down as A-grade coach recently.
Corowa-Rutherglen finished runner-up to Wangaratta in 2019 and lost to Wangaratta in the preliminary final again last year.
The O and M confirmed it was committed to working with the club and the nine other teams “to do whatever is necessary” to have junior football and netball teams play this year.
“The O and M acknowledges this scenario will create unforeseen challenges to its remaining senior football and netball clubs regarding the 2023 fixture,” chairman David Sinclair said.
“The league has conducted a full review of the current fixture, and considering all stakeholders, have determined any major change at this stage would prove incredibly difficult.”
The league will start at Easter as scheduled with no change to finals dates.
It means senior football and netball clubs will have two extra byes.
Former club captain Jamie Seymour has taken over the under-18s football coaching job after last year’s coach George Sandral returned to Billabong Crows.
Sandral coached the under-18s into last year’s grand final only to lose narrowly to Wangaratta.
FORMER COACH CALLS FOR MORE SUPPORT
Former Corowa-Rutherglen coach Peter German has expressed his frustration at “nowhere near enough” support for the club he led for two seasons and is poised to go into recess.
Speaking for the first time since he departed, German said major structural changes were needed on many levels, including a reduction in the number of clubs in the area and more people to step up and run the club.
After a season in which Corowa-Rutherglen won six games and lost to eventual runner-up Yarrawonga and Albury by seven points and two points, German informed the club he wouldn’t be coaching in 2023 three weeks out from the end of the season.
German was also working part-time at the club in an administration role.
The club had lost 30 players before those remaining were informed on Monday night of plans to go into recess this year.
“It wasn’t just like I just dropped (the decision to leave) and said ‘see you later’,” German said.
“There was no animosity, no hatred, no nothing.
“I wanted to move on.
“But there is nowhere near enough community support.
“There are a lot of good people who barrack for the club and all that sort of stuff.
“I’m talking more in administration and executive type roles.”
He has since joined WAFL club Perth Demons.
“In the next 12 months if they can’t get a good group together, business, prominent people in the town to really help out, what is going to change?” he said.
Meanwhile, AFL Northeast Border Commission met on Wednesday night with the Corowa-Rutherglen issue a major discussion point.
“When the Corowa-Rutherglen members and importantly the wider Corowa region decides whether it wants a team in the Ovens and Murray we stand ready to assist,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate it has to got to this, but there is no point looking back, everyone needs to look forward.
“We want to reiterate our strong belief that the Corowa and wider region is big enough to sustain an Ovens and Murray club.
“In the first instance that help could be sourcing and assist funding a suitably qualified person to co-ordinate and drive the many tasks that will be needed for what the club is already calling a reset for 2024.
“First and foremost we await the outcome of the club’s meeting tonight.”
RECESS PLANS SIGNALLED
The Ovens and Murray league is facing the prospect of being left with only nine teams this season after Corowa-Rutherglen signalled its intention not to play in 2023.
The club informed its remaining players on Monday night of the decision that it was struggling to recover from a disastrous off-season in which it has lost 30 players and its facilities copped the full force of major flooding late last year.
The club will hold a meeting of members and sponsors on Thursday night.
Corowa-Rutherglen president Graham Hosier said the club was entering a period of “unprecedented uncertainty”.
“Player losses to this extent have never been experienced in our history, despite the sustained effort from the club football department to attract and retain players,” he said.
“The club will continue to exhaust all avenues to play football and netball in 2023.
“Our priority always is, and always will be, to provide an environment for footballers and netballers to come and play the game they love at our great club.
“We are hurting, and the community are hurting as a result of this, so we are determined to continue the fight for a reset in 2024.
“However in times like this we have to face a very real reality that if things don’t come together quickly, we will need to make tough decisions.”
The club’s dual premiership coach and Team of the Century coach Peter Tossol said it was a “really disappointing situation”.
“Appreciate it is difficult to make an informed comment from afar, but what I do know is that once you go into recess, history says it is nearly impossible to come back,” he said.
“The decision around the unavailability of the clubrooms was really disappointing also. The issue is a minefield I know but council and the community will suffer without the club being in existence.
“Apart from that, the club has been around for 100 years. The loss of this club will affect all O and Murray followers.
“Corowa and Rutherglen have been through a lot over the years including a very difficult amalgamation in 1979. They got through that and I’m crossing my fingers that they can get through this and remain an O and M club in 2023.”
O and M chairman David Sinclair said: “It has come as a shock that after such a promising two years, the club finds itself in this position and is considering this course of action.”
“Until such time as the league is formally advised of the club’s plans for 2023 the league won’t be making any further comment other than to say that the Corowa-Rutherglen region is a strong football and netball community and needs representation in the O and M.
“Our understanding is that CFNC will meet with its members on Thursday night and under its constitution a notice of motion will need to be served and voted on by the members before the club can go down this path.”
It is a major blow for the O and M that is considered one of the best country leagues in Australia.
The O and M has been a 10-team competition since 1996 when Benalla left for the Goulburn Valley league.
It rejected a bid by Wagga Tigers to enter the competition in the late 1990s.
An exodus of players began when the club struggled to find a replacement for its coach Peter German, who led Corowa-Rutherglen to six wins and two narrow losses to eventual runner-up Yarrawonga and Albury in 2022.
He has been appointed coach of WAFL club Perth Demons.
Corowa-Rutherglen won two premierships in the O and M in 2000 and 2003 after a merger between Corowa and Rutherglen in 1979.
Sydney Swans premiership coach and North Melbourne premiership player John Longmire began his career at Corowa-Rutherglen and former Carlton coach David Teague played in the 2000 premiership win when teammate Damian Houlihan kicked a record 10 goals for the match.
Also, in the AFL Northeast Border area, Upper Murray league club Federal has gone into recess.
MORE CASH IN CAP
Corowa-Rutherglen has been granted almost $20,000 extra in its salary cap this season in a bid to entice badly needed players to the embattled Ovens and Murray league club.
AFL Northeast Border regional manager Zac Hedin confirmed the local commission had approved an additional $18,750 for Corowa-Rutherglen to spend on players.
But the move has not had an instant impact of a surge of player signings, as a player exodus that began at the end of last season shows no signs of stopping for the club that produced Sydney Swans coach John Longmire.
Metro club Greensborough confirmed this week it had signed Callum Spencer, who played 16 of 18 senior matches for Corowa-Rutherglen last year.
Ruckman Tom Goodwin, who was recruited to the club by former coach Peter German, has also departed and will play for Eltham.
It brings the total number of players who have left since the end of last season to 30.
Mr Hedin said AFLNEB was monitoring the club’s plight closely and confirmed assistance was coming from the AFL in sourcing temporary facilities.
The club’s changerooms, function area, kitchen and canteen buildings were last week declared off-limits as a result of last year’s floods.
“Any time a club has as many departures as Corowa-Rutherglen has had is cause for concern,” he said.
“On top of that their facilities situation after the floods isn’t helping.
“We’ve got some work going on in the background with the AFL facilities team and hopefully we can alleviate a bit of pain on that side of things so they can turn their attention to getting a team on the park for 2023.”
Ovens and Murray league officials including chairman David Sinclair are meeting with Corowa-Rutherglen again on Wednesday night.
The chances of the club going into recess and leaving the league with only nine clubs in 2023 can’t be discounted.
Mr Hedin confirmed Myrtleford had also been granted an additional $6250 in its salary cap plus a further $5250 for travel costs for players.
It also followed an application for more cash from Myrtleford.
The O and M salary cap for clubs is $125,000.
AFLNEB administers the Tallangatta and District league where Corowa-Rutherglen’s near neighbours Wahgunyah battled for player numbers last year.
“They are probably in a position where they need more players,” Mr Hedin said.
“There is an acknowledgment in general that in the Corowa, Rutherglen and Wahgunyah area there aren’t enough players to field a full complement of players through juniors and seniors.
“If there is an appetite from all the clubs to get together and continue these discussions we are more than happy to facilitate that.”
LAST WEEK
Corowa-Rutherglen’s woes have been compounded with its change rooms, function area and kitchen-canteen buildings ruled off-limits this season.
Initial hopes the facilities could be repaired in time for the start of the football-netball season in early April were quashed in recent days.
Club president Graham Hosier said it was determined to remain at John Foord Oval with talks underway into erecting portable change rooms for training and match days.
Social functions and other club gatherings could be moved to club sponsors including hotels and licenced clubs in Corowa.
“John Foord Oval is our home and we want to play there this year,” he said.
“It’s not only us. We’ve got our junior club and Auskick. They need somewhere to play.
“We don’t want to move away.”
The club is also dealing with a mass of exodus of players since the end of last season.
Hosier confirmed 28 players had left since the club missed finals last year, but remained “hopeful” the club would field senior and reserves teams this season.
Among the latest departures are club best and fairest runner-up from last season, Jared Lane, to district league club Howlong.
Best and fairest winner Cameron Wilson joined rival club Yarrawonga before Christmas.
Hosier confirmed recently appointed senior coach Steve Owen and football department members, Jason Marks, Dean Druce and Brett Skinner, spent time in Darwin speaking to possible recruits last week.
“There have been some good contacts made,” Hosier said.
Pre-season training recommenced this week at another ground in town with the strongest roll up of 20-plus players reported on Wednesday night.
Acting Federation Council general manager Jo Shannon confirmed it had the Corowa-Rutherglen Football-Netball Club rooms inspected by an appointed assessor from council’s insurance provider.
“Unfortunately, the building has been deemed unfit for occupation until further notice,” she said.
“Council is working with the club and its insurer and will provide regular updates to the club and the community on the building as they are available.
“Council appreciates the club’s and community’s ongoing understanding through this challenging time.
“Council is committed to working with the Corowa-Rutherglen Football-Netball Club in its ongoing flood recovery efforts.”
Hosier said the club was determined to rise above the latest dramas.
“It’s another challenge for our board and we need a footy club in the Corowa community,” he said.
“We’ll get through it. I’m pretty positive we’ll have something set up.”
Initial estimates of the flood damage totalled more than $200,000.
Originally published as Ovens and Murray: Corowa-Rutherglen won’t field football teams in 2023
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