Upper Murray FL: Rival clubs reject Federal reserves only push

One of the Upper Murray league’s original teams is in danger of becoming the latest club forced into recess.

David Johnston

2 min read

April 22, 2022 - 10:39AM

The Weekly Times

Federal, one of the Upper Murray league’s original teams dating back to the early 1890s, is in danger of becoming the latest club forced into recess.

The Swans made the tough decision not to field a senior team due to dwindling player ranks and still hoped to be able to have reserves only.

But last week the move was rejected by the league and rival clubs, which want Federal to exhaust all options to field a senior team.

The Upper Murray season starts for rival clubs, Cudgewa, Tumbarumba, Corryong and Bullioh, on Saturday with Federal having the bye and another week to find players for a senior team.

Border-Walwa went into recess after the most recent season was completed in 2019.

Federal president Craig Sheather said the club hoped to appeal the league’s decision not to allow the club to play reserves only before its first scheduled match on April 30.

“We will try and appeal if we can,” he said.

“We haven’t got seniors which is bad enough, but the seconds could still play.

“A lot of our seconds blokes are 30 and 40 year old blokes who can’t play firsts and don’t want to play firsts.”

Upper Murray league operations manager Nadia Edwards.

But Upper Murray league operations manager Nadia Edwards said the other four clubs wanted Federal to revisit its stance not to field a senior team.

“They all want them to put in a senior side because most of their senior players are coming to this league thinking they are going to get at least 12 games,” she said.

“But without Federal they only get to play nine.

“We’ve said they can’t be in the competition without a senior side because that breaks the rules and regulations of our league.”

Federal has been given until next Monday to come up with a senior football team.

Sheather said the club had sufficient numbers for five grades of netball.

“We’re in limbo,” he said.

“We’re trying to hold our seconds team together because they want to know what is happening.”

Federal was forced to drop its senior team when it only had 12 permanent players and another six who could only play every second or third week due to work commitments.

It was the only club which backed a move two years ago to merge the five Upper Murray clubs into one and play in the Tallangatta and District league.

“We were 100 per cent behind it,” Sheather said.

“The timing back then was good, but I don’t think we’ve got the standard to do it any more.

“It’s pretty hard when you haven’t got juniors.”