Local footy: Victoria’s regional footy leagues rated
Closed down by COVID-19 in 2020, regional footy is back better than ever. See all the big signings and predictions for the big leagues ahead of season openers.
Closed down by COVID-19 in 2020, country football is ready to kick back into action and is counting down to the bounce of the ball for 2021, officials say.
Leagues and their clubs last played matches in September, 2019 and they say there’s a buzz about the prospect of the first bounce to start the season.
Ovens and Murray league general manager Sean Barrett said interest in his competition was high.
“I’ve been here for five years now and I think this is the peak of what the community interest and anticipation for the season ahead has been,’’ Barrett said.
“With that interest, we’ll see good numbers through the gate hopefully for our matches.
“I think the league’s in as good a position as it’s been in for 15 years in terms of its competitiveness, including the netball.”
The independently-run Ovens and Murray has 10 senior clubs – six in Victoria and four in NSW – separated by the Murray River.
Albury, Corowa-Rutherglen, Lavington, Myrtleford, North Albury, Wangaratta, Wangaratta Rovers, Wodonga, Wodonga Raiders and Yarrawonga make up the competition.
A season without football produced financial pain at league headquarters, but the blow has not been fatal, with Barrett even suggesting it was a “palatable outcome”.
The Ovens and Murray league has moved some bills for 2021 to 2020 to allow the recovery to start.
“We posted a loss last year, but it was certainly significantly less than what we had forecasted once COVID had hit,” Barrett said.
“We brought forward some expenses out of this year’s budget, which has given us some flexibility to move into the new year. “That left us with a $40,000 loss, whereas our true loss was probably closer to $20,000.
“We’ve taken the approach to be fairly skinny with our spending.
“One of the true challenges of the nature of our business and what we do is we are heavily reliant on finals income at the end of our financial season.
“We’ve got to forecast as if that’s going to be significantly impacted (this season) and budget towards that.”
Barrett said the ability to stage a regular finals series in 2021 would leave the Ovens and Murray “in a really strong position”.
But with clubs in two states and players who travel from Melbourne, the league is maintaining a cautious approach.
Barrett said he had “more confidence” a season could proceed safely with contact tracing and health measures in place.
Clubs have also emerged in a healthy position, with none left fearing the prospect of folding.
In the biggest recruiting coup, 2019 runner-up Wangaratta has secured Collingwood premiership player Ben Reid as looks to atone for its grand final loss to Lavington.
Powerhouse Albury, which has claimed seven of the past 11 flags, has signed Anthony Miles who arrives with 88 games of experience over nine seasons with Greater Western Sydney, Richmond and Gold Coast.
The Ovens and Murray league’s season will kick off with a blockbuster clash between Albury and Yarrawonga on March 27 before Lavington and Wangaratta Rovers do battle on March 28.
The Bendigo Football League has adopted the mantra of “I’m Committed” for the 2021 season.
The BFL and its 10 clubs have been running the campaign since late last year to ensure there is no post-COVID slump.
Players, volunteers, supporters, sponsors and everyone in between is being asked to commit for 2021.
The league is confident it is well placed to bounce back on and off the field from the cancelled 2020 season.
“One of our concerns when the pandemic hit and we started to lose our season was (player) retainment,’’ BFL manager Cameron Tomkin said.
“We’ve put in a lot of hard work into our campaign … to bring, not just players, but volunteers, members, sponsors back to support clubs.
“Retainment was certainly a concern, missing that much time, there was always a risk of losing people that just wouldn’t return to football and netball.
“On the whole what we’re seeing is everyone is jumping out of their skins to get back to football and netball. Everyone is keen as to get back out there.’’
Tomkin said the Bendigo league had taken a financial hit from the pandemic, but could call on money put away for a “rainy day’’.
It’s not only a new season for the Ballarat league, but a new era.
It’s operating under its own steam after dumping regional administrator AFL Goldfields.
The move will reduce costs for the 11 clubs in the Ballarat league, which is also introducing a women’s competition in 2021.
“We were in a situation where our administration staff were finding it difficult trying to answer too many masters and weren’t quite sure were the direction was coming from,” BLF chairman Adrian Bettio said of the league’s decision to jettison the AFL body.
“As a board we liked to think we were in charge but operational staff were receiving mixed messages from the board and Goldfields.
“Now that we’re operating autonomously there’s no question where the direction is coming from, everybody’s clear and on the same page.
“From a financial point of view we haven’t got that burden of a service contract, it was becoming onerous.
“Over the last five years it was climbing to a point where it was no longer manageable and the only way to manage it was pass on costs, so we’ve slashed costs and clubs have benefited from that.”
General manager Shane Anwyl had previously been employed by AFL Goldfields but will now work directly for the BFL.
The Ballarat league wasn’t the only competition to severe ties with AFL Goldfields. The Riddell District Football League also decided to go it alone, leaving the Maryborough-Castlemaine, Central Highlands and AFL Goldfields Women’s leagues remaining under the centralised banner.
A loss of $215,000.00 for the financial year was reported at the BFL’s recent AGM with the pandemic seeing income fall by as much as 90 per cent.
However, the league has been able to protect clubs from the financial shock without passing on majors costs.
Bettio said sponsorship for the 2021 season had already surpassed expectations and the league’s outlook was healthy.
“We weren’t accepting payments from sponsors, which was the only fair thing to do, and we relied on our cash in the bank,” he said.
“One of our majors sponsors is Bendigo Bank and they’ve provided us with $100,000 if we need it as an overdraft.
“Financially, we’re OK, we’ll get through this season no problem.
“We’ve budgeted for a certain amount of sponsorship and we’ve exceeded that already, well exceeded it.
“We asked all our clubs to submit their financial statements so we’re aware of where they stand financially.
“The understanding we have at the moment is clubs are surviving quite well, there are a couple of clubs going through a bit of hardship and we’ll continue to work with them.”
In a coaching coup, North Ballarat attracted former Western Bulldogs head coach Brendan McCartney, and Ballarat locked in three-time Hawthorn premiership star Josh Gibson.
Some prominent names have joined the Sunraysia league too.
Local product Dallas Willsmore, on Hawthorn’s list from 2014-2018, has returned to the region and linked with powerhouse Ouyen United after spending the past two years at SANFL club West Adelaide.
Former Adelaide Crows SANFL midfielder Matt Spencely has landed at South Mildura, making the move across from Riverland league club Waikerie where he featured in its A-grade flag threepeat of 2016, ’17 and ’18.
Red Cliffs welcome back Jake Reed after an eight-year hiatus. Reed is best known for his cricket, as a fast bowler with Victoria since 2014 and through Big Bash stints with the Hobart Hurricanes (2014-17) and Melbourne Renegades (2013-14).
The season will start with a Good Friday clash between South Mildura and Irymple on April 2, with the league is set to mark Indigenous Round on July 10, followed by TAC Towards Zero Round on July 17.
The season concludes on September 11 with the grand final at Brian Weightman Oval in Mildura.
Phillip Island’s position as West Gippsland Football Netball League’s pacemaker has been strengthened after it signed former Western Bulldogs AFL midfielder Daniel Pearce.
The 28-year-old, who for the past two seasons has played with Templestowe, joins fellow former AFL player Cameron Pedersen in the Island side, enhancing its bid for a third consecutive premiership.
“We’ve been chasing him for 18 months,’’ Phillip Island president Chris Ross said of Pearce, who played six AFL games for the Bulldogs.
“He’s moved here now — he’s built a house on the Island — so he’s agreed to sign on this year.’’
Phillip Island, though, can expect strong challenges from rival clubs in 2021.
Once COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season, WGFNL clubs focused their attention on recruiting for 2021.
And the big names have flocked to the grateful arms of WGFNL sides.
Hawthorn premiership player Campbell Brown has signed with Kilcunda-Bass as assistant playing coach.
Club president Shea Eden said the tough defender was the biggest signing in the West Gippsland league club’s history.
Killy-Bass will be coached by former Sydney Swans star Steve Wright, who lives only 20 minutes away in Phillip Island.
Bunyip, after missing the finals on percentage last year, has made key appointments, with former VFL assistant Tim McGibney its new senior coach and Narre Warren premiership players Dylan and Ryan Quirk key recruits.
Last year’s wooden spoon side Warragul Industrials have secured star forward Anthony Bruhn, a three-time premiership player with Mornington Peninsula powerhouse Frankston YCW and a Footscray VFL player.
AFL Gippsland football operations manager Nic Fogarty said WGFNL clubs were “busting’’ to get going again after a season off.
“You’re going to find some clubs are going to come out and be in a better position now than what they were this time last year,’’ he said.
“Some clubs have been really lucky in that they’ve got sponsors that have committed through last year and they’ve had 12 months to be able to put some better structures in place as far as their coaching and recruiting players go.
“There are a couple of clubs that were in the bottom four teams in the West Gippy (league) that have recruited really well in the off season and they’ve been chomping at the bit to get on the paddock.’’
While most clubs report they have taken a financial hit through COVID-19, with sponsors dropping off, Phillip Island has kept its “head above water’’, according to Ross.
“It’s been real tough,’’ he said.
“We’ve been lucky in that we’ve had a handful of our sponsors that have been happy to still put the money in.
“Other than that we’ve applied for grants and we’ve won a few grants to help us out.
“I think all clubs are in a similar boat, we’ve kept our head above water but as far as actually making a profit I don’t think there are too many clubs who can say they’ve made a decent profit.’’
Korumburra-Bena will unveil champion forward Luke James next season after his much anticipated return to the Giants was delayed because of COVID-19.
Korumburra president Peter Hislop said while his club had retained all players, some volunteers had stepped away.
“We will have less (volunteer) numbers than last year,’’ he said.
“I don’t think it’s going to be the same next season straight away.’’
And in a recruiting coup, Tooradin-Dalmore has secured former Collingwood wingman Adam Oxley.
Oxley found his way to Tooradin-Dalmore through his friend and former teammate Piva Wright, who joined the Seagulls last year.
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Originally published as Local footy: Victoria’s regional footy leagues rated
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