Ovens and Murray: Riverina and Mulwala options in new club search

The Ovens and Murray league is starting to look at where it can find another footy club, following Corowa-Rutherglen’s move to not field teams.

The Ovens and Murray league has few obvious options on where to recruit another team and head off a potential long term reduction to only nine clubs.

Corowa-Rutherglen’s impending move to not field senior football and netball teams this year has sparked speculation about possible newcomers to the league.

The O and M has been a 10-team competition for nearly three decades with Benalla the last club to leave when it headed back to the Goulburn Valley league in 1998.

Wagga’s Robertson Oval could be home to a combined Riverina team in the Ovens and Murray. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

Riverina league club Wagga Tigers made a bid to join the O and M in 2001, but clubs blocked the move on the grounds of excessive travel for southern-based teams.

Legendary Riverina coach and former O and M star player Shane Lenon said no stand-alone club in the Riverina had the ability to compete in the border competition.

But he believes a “combined side started from scratch” based in Wagga could be a force.

“It would be the only way,” he said.

“The best two teams in the RFL last year were Ganmain and Collingullie, which are both small towns.

“The Ovens and Murray is a very strong competition.”

Terry Daniher coached Wagga Tigers in the mid-1990s before a bid to join the Ovens and Murray was blocked.

Benalla president Geoff Hill said “there has been no talk whatsoever” of returning to the O and M.

“It is a generational thing,” he said.

“The guys who played in the O and M would certainly like to see the club go back to the O and M, but the current generation are quite happy in the GV.”

Former Yarrawonga president Glenn Brear said a possible contender was neighbouring Murray league club Mulwala.

“It is probably the most logical club to make the step up if they wanted to accept that challenge,” he said.

Former Yarrawonga Pigeons president Glenn Brear.

“I’m not saying it’s ready or equipped to come in this year, but if Mulwala sets their sights high and continues to grow in stature, they are more than capable.

“They’re well run, they are financially viable and if all the projections are right, Mulwala will continue to grow.

“Looking from the outside they also have a good relationship with Federation Shire when it comes to getting things done at their ground.”

Brendan Fevola’s debut match for Yarrawonga at Mulwala in 2012 attracted a massive crowd.

He said the rivalry between Yarrawonga and Mulwala “could be like Wangaratta and Wangaratta Rovers”.

“Mulwala would be the equal of any of the Wagga clubs at this point in time, they’ve played practice matches against O and M teams and been competitive,” he said.

Mulwala won the Murray league flag last year and host an O and M game involving Yarrawonga every Easter.