Murray: Moama in talks with Goulburn Valley and Bendigo about league switch

Moama is exploring a move away from the Murray league. See the factors behind it.

Moama has embarked on a fact-finding mission to identify its best long-term home with talks underway with the Goulburn Valley and Bendigo football-netball leagues.

The club currently plays in the Murray league, but a potential move as early as 2026 is being driven by a desire to halt the present “bleeding” of junior players.

Club president Matt Lake said it wanted to be in a competition with under-18s as opposed to the Murray league’s top junior age-group being under-17s.

“It’s all population driven and we’re just seeing where our future lies,” he said.

“We’re not going to be jumping straight away.

“We have spoken to a couple of leagues, but at the same time we’re keeping the Murray league in contact with all of our discussions.

“To be honest, junior wise, we are outgrowing the Murray league.

“We need to be in a competition with under-18s.

“We’re just bleeding our future to neighbouring leagues and clubs presently.”

Moama hosted this season’s Murray league grand final won by Congupna. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Moama is projected to have a population of close to 10,000 people in a decade.

Lake said GV and Bendigo league officials had both inspected Moama’s home ground that has undergone a $5m-plus redevelopment in recent years.

It has also hosted the last three Murray league grand finals.

A working party consisting of current committee members and representatives from outside the club is carrying out the “genuine research”.

Moama would be a highly attractive option for the Bendigo and GV leagues.

Bendigo is likely to be an eight-team competition in 2025 after losing Kyneton to the Riddell District league and Maryborough to recess in the last two years.

But recently accepting Broadford into the league could potentially scuttle Bendigo being able to attract Moama due to the two-hour travel between the two towns.

Moama would develop an instant cross-river rivalry with Echuca if it joined the GV league.

But a 13th team would create more fixturing headaches for the GV.

“We’re being open and honest with everyone, the two leagues we’re talking to and the league we’re currently in,” Lake said.