Wimmera: Southern Mallee Giants on brink of first Wimmera league premiership
The Southern Mallee Giants are chasing their first Wimmera league premiership on Saturday. Find out the secrets of their successful merger.
Southern Mallee Giants are giving hope to clubs contemplating the sometimes fraught trip down the merger road.
Hopetoun and Beulah parked a fierce rivalry to strike a union that met with instant success when the Giants started out in the Horsham District league following the Mallee league’s collapse at the end of 2015.
The club carrying the footballing fortunes of two Mallee farming towns located 26km apart with a combined population of only 1000 people won back-to-back flags in 2016 and 2017 before making the step up to the region’s premier competition in 2018.
They were first into the grand final by bringing Ararat’s undefeated season to a halt in the second semi-final and face Ararat again in the grand final at Dimboola.
Giants president Nathan Williams said the merger’s success had a lot to do with both clubs feeling that no one benefited more than the other.
The club continues to play and train in both towns and the adoption of a neutral jumper was another crucial starting point in achieving crucial buy-in.
“It was a real 50-50 arrangement,” Williams said.
“It’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.”
AFL coaching legend Kevin Sheedy played a small part in the club settling on the Southern Mallee Giants name and colours.
Sheedy’s first two premierships at Essendon in 1984 and 1985 had strong Wimmera connections with Tim Watson, Roger Merrett, Merv Neagle, Glenn Hawker and Shane Heard all recruited from the area.
Geoff Burdett, also recruited by the Bombers from Hopetoun in the mid-1970s, invited Sheedy to launch the club in 2015 due to him being the inaugural coach of Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Burdett coached the new entity to its first two premierships in 2016 and 2017.
“We were lucky to be strong in those early years,” he said.
“To be in a Wimmera league grand final and the chance to win a premiership is a really big thing.
“Before we merged, Hopetoun always wanted to beat Beulah and Beulah always wanted to beat Hopetoun.
“I will never forget what Kevin did to get us up and going.”
But one area of major concern is the Giants not being able to field an under-17s team.
“There is just a lack of young kids around,” said Williams, who farms near Beulah.
“Back when I first started farming there were a lot of guys who were a few years older than me that didn’t hang around.
“There were a couple of tough seasons and it’s left quite a large hole actually.
“But we’ve got an under-14s side and a lot of Auskick numbers.
“If we can just get through these next couple of years there might be some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Giants missed finals last season, but signalled their intention to return as a force by signing the league’s best player as coach.
Kieran Delahunty helped Minyip-Murtoa to a premiership and also won his third Toohey Medal in 2022.
He was keen to coach and the Giants pounced given he went to boarding school and university with players at the club.
Delahunty lives at Horsham, has a farm at Murtoa and travels north to coach and play for the Giants, who have bolstered their midfield with the addition of another Toohey Medal winner Billy Lloyd and Ballarat league recruit Mickitja Rotumah-Onus.
Liam Nelson and Jackson Fisher fly down from the Gold Coast to play, with the latter originally from Yaapeet.
The local contingent in the team includes eight farmers.
“Being so remote one of the great things about the club is the social side of things,” Delahunty said.
“Because you are an hour and a half from Horsham you are forced to stay up there for the weekend, which makes it great.
“The locals all love it because Beulah doesn’t have a pub and that is the outing for a lot of the farmers.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
(Mallee Football League former clubs)
Berri-Culgoa: Merged with Sea Lake-Nandaly in 2003
Beulah and Hopetoun: Merged at the end of 2015 to become the Southern Mallee Giants and won flags in the Horsham District league before taking the step up to the Wimmera league
Brim: Merged with Warracknabeal to become the Warrick Eagles in the Wimmera league
Jeparit-Rainbow: Left the MFL at the end of 2014 and its exit triggered the end for the league. Played off in the Horsham District grand final last Saturday and lost to Harrow-Balmoral
Manangatang: Merged with Tooleybuc in 2004 and plays in the Central Murray league
Nullawil: Left the MFL to join the Golden Rivers league in 1998 and crossed to the North Central league this season and will play off in the grand final against Sea Lake-Nandaly
Sea Lake-Nandaly: Won the flag in the final year of the MFL and joined the North Central league in 2016. Starts favourite in the grand final on Saturday against Nullawil
Walpeup-Underbool: Merged with Ouyen United in 2016 to become Ouyen United Kangaroos in the Sunraysia league and won a premiership in its first season. Missed finals this season
Woomelang-Lascelles: Folded when the MFL finished at the end of 2015
Yaapeet: Folded in 2000
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