Kyabram District: Rushworth back on track after season spent in recess
Rushworth didn’t have enough quality players to field a senior team last year, but is back and winning games in 2024. See what has worked in their return from recess.
One meeting was all Mark Wheatley required to be convinced Rushworth was up for the fight of bringing its senior team back from 12 months in recess.
Country footy clubs take a massive gamble when forced to sit out a season as Rushworth, Yea and Corowa-Rutherglen did last year and Broadford has this season.
If the determination is not there internally to right the sinking ship quickly their fate could be sealed forever given the imbalance between the amount of clubs and the number of players available to fill them.
Rushworth fielded reserves, under-14s and netball teams in the Kyabram District league last season, but there was a big void in the 2.30pm timeslot.
Wheatley had also been having his own time-out from the game last year.
He lost his dream job as an AFL development coach at Melbourne when Covid hit in early 2020, leading to slashing and burning at all levels to keep the elite level going.
His move back to the Goulburn Valley to run a family beef and sheep farm at Katandra West coincided with Rushworth looking for a coach.
“Walking away from the first meeting I was impressed with their honesty,” Wheatley said.
“They were under no illusions as to where they were at.
“They admitted there had been some mistakes made in the past.
“It’s what can happen despite people always trying to do their best.
“But sometimes you just need a fresh face and a fresh look.”
Rushworth also tapped into a family link with new assistant coach Nico McKinley, whose great grandfather had previously played for the club.
He didn’t play last year, but had been at Heathcote District league club White Hills where other recruits, Ethan and Dylan Arnold and Isaac Griffin, previously played.
Captain Shaun Young was among of group of players who stuck with Rushworth to play reserves last year.
Club president Dean Shepherd said putting the senior team in recess was a tough call.
“We weren’t going to throw blokes out on the ground to get beaten by 150-200 points each week,” he said.
“They’d just lose interest in football and you would lose them forever.
“Geographically, Rushworth is in a tough spot with Colbinabbin to the west, Murchison to the west, Nagambie to the south and Tatura, Girgarre, Stanhope to the north.
“The locals are just passionate football people which is good, but we just needed more players and we didn’t have them last year.”
He said appointing Wheatley was a major turning point in the comeback with wins being recorded this year and players already committing for 2025.
“When you’ve got a good quality coach, they get good quality people and also keep good quality people,” he said.
“Mark is an excellent football coach and has everyone on board.
“He doesn’t expect us to go out and win premierships, but he expects fair commitment and fair effort.”
Wheatley has also shown he’s prepared to do things differently including training only one night per week.
“The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result,” he said.
“I’m not getting phone calls on a Tuesday with the same excuses why players can’t train.
“Wednesdays are four days post-game, so guys can recover and do things in their own time.
“My vision is to have 40 to 50 on the track, but I’m certainly practising patience as a virtue.”
Importantly, Rushworth tasted early success by beating Longwood in the second round and has recorded a further three wins.
There is the prospect of more victories in the run home including the August 10 clash against Merrigum when it holds a reunion for its last senior flag team in 2004.
“The first game we did win this year there were people crying in the crowd,” Wheatley said.
“But there is so much more to do.”
Yea is another club to return this season from a year with its seniors and reserves in recess.
It is on track to play finals in the Outer East division one competition.
Corowa-Rutherglen has completed an even bigger reboot from a year on the sidelines when seniors, reserves and under-18s didn't play.
Unlike, Rushworth and Yea, Corowa-Rutherglen hasn’t won a match at senior level in the Ovens & Murray league this year.
Rushworth and Corowa-Rutherglen have 60 player points and more money in their salary caps this year with the amounts expected to be wound back for the second year of their rebuilds.
AFL Victoria community football manager John O’Donohue said they would have to justify the need to keep higher points and salary caps compared to their rivals.
“The application requires a form to be completed which evidenced the case being presented and includes what players are being retained, lost, so informed decisions are made by the governing body,” he said.
Broadford will take an important step towards a return from recess this year when it holds a special general meeting on Wednesday night.
It had applied to join the Kyabram District league last year after being in the Outer East division two competition since 2020, but was knocked by the KDFNL clubs.
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