Showpiece to survival: Interleague footy’s biggest challenge

Interleague was once the jewel of country footy, but in order to survive, multiple formats are being rolled out. See what’s happening.

Three interleague matches will be played under different formats this weekend as representative football fights for survival in the post Covid-era.

Interleague, once the showpiece of country football, is on life support after the death knell was sounded on a statewide format and shrinking funding from AFL Victoria to cover costs of staging games was cut totally this year.

Interleague matches will be played on Saturday between Central Murray and Sunryasia at Swan Hill and Tallangatta District and Hume at Lavington and on Sunday, Bendigo will play the Victorian Amateurs at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.

The Central Murray-Sunraysia clash has been changed to a match for under-23 and four over-age players after doubts emerged the match would go ahead.

Ovens & Murray and Goulburn Valley played for the fourth season in a row in late May. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Tallangatta District and Hume will renew their rivalry with only one-point players eligible for selection and the Bendigo-VAFA match will be played with no restrictions on players selected.

Last Saturday, Ballarat beat Hampden in a third encounter between the two leagues played with an under-23 format.

Central Murray coach Marcus Demaria said his league reluctantly agreed to the changed format.

“There are a lot of players in our competition who want to represent the league and play with the better players, but they’re going to miss out,” he said.

“It’s a bit unfortunate for a lot of those senior guys.

“But you just pick the blokes who want to play.”

Reigning Jack Betts Medal winner Harry Allen and Mallee Eagles teammate Zac O’Meara will be two of the four senior players picked for Central Murray with the under-23 talent to include Cohuna Kangas star Ricky Monti.

Simon Rosa will coach the Bendigo league for the first time on Sunday. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Sunraysia legend Don Falvo and Irymple coach Jake Thrum will coach Sunraysia which lost by 11 goals last year.

“Times have changed and 2025 is a different landscape to what it was five years ago,” Thrum said.

“Club-land is prioritised now.

“Our side will be all under-23 bar one.”

Tallangatta District and Hume haven’t played since 2017 with the two leagues agreeing to the one-point player only criteria on the eve of the season.

“There is nothing more representative of your league than a one-point player,” Hume league president Phil Bouffler said.

“They’ve either come through the system as a junior and stayed loyal or have been at a club for four or five years and dropped down to one point.

“A lot of clubs don’t like interleague because good players could get injured.

“But this concept has been embraced by the clubs and players and both leagues are fully behind it.”

Gippsland hasn’t played an interleague match since Covid, but Ovens & Murray and Goulburn Valley played their fourth successive match in May.

The Victorian Country team also hasn’t played since 2019, but its long-term rival, the Victorian Amateurs will again be playing Perth Football League on Saturday.