Omeo District: Exemptions keeping alive small league’s only junior grade

The Omeo District Football league is relying on 90 player exemptions to keep their junior competition alive. But is it sustainable beyond 2024?

The Omeo District Football League has relied on 90 exemptions for players as a saviour for its only junior competition in the wake of age eligibility rule changes introduced this year.

Players as young as seven are playing in the league’s under-16s which is well outside the three-year gap mandated by the AFL.

The junior competition was at risk of folding until it accepted the risk of allowing players who weren’t eligible to play under the new rules.

Exemptions are being granted on an individual basis to satisfy AFL insurers rather than a blanket rule that was the case in previous seasons.

The six clubs, Omeo-Benambra, Swifts Creek, Bruthen, Buchan, Lindenow South and Swan Reach, have a combined 100-plus less junior players compared to 2019.

League secretary Rod Twining said exemptions were “the only way” that the competition would survive.

“We’ve been topping up with players on permits from the East Gippsland under-15s and under-13s,” he said.

“But for small, isolated communities to survive the system has to be a lot more flexible.”

Source: 2024 National Community Football Policy Handbook.

Exemptions are also needed for players aged under 16 to play seniors.

Central Murray league flag contender Nyah Nyah West United gained one for 15-year-old Max Thompson to debut against reigning Kerang on Saturday.

Thompson was starring in the colts competition with two bags of seven goals.

“All pre-season we’ve been looking at him as someone who could play seniors,” NNWU coach Jason Murphy said.

“He is more than capable, he has played a lot of representative football going through the Bendigo Pioneers program, all those sorts of things.

“He’s only slightly built, but doesn’t look out of place.

“Over the years most really good senior footballers have played senior football around that age.”

NNWU lost its first match this season on Saturday to Kerang with midfielders Ethan Saville and Ethan Curran and forwards Nick O’Neill and Alex Erlandson not playing.