Four football netball clubs in axed Golden Rivers league approved to join new competition

Australia Broadcast Center

19 hours ago

Four football netball clubs in a regional league set for the axe have been given a stay of execution next season, with the intrinsic value to their small communities a factor in the decision.
On Wednesday, the Central Rivers Board accepted the transfers of the Hay and Moulamein football netball clubs in south-west New South Wales, and the Murrabit and Wandella football netball clubs in northern Victoria, to the Central Murray League.
The clubs are currently part of the Golden Rivers Football Netball league, which is due to close at the end of this season.
Earlier this year, a Central Rivers Board report recommended the league close due to dwindling player and volunteer numbers, with clubs told to find a new league.
The board is the body in charge of both the Central Murray and Golden Rivers leagues.
Central Rivers board member Stuart King said community impact was considered when making the decision on the transfers.
"These clubs want to retain their identity in their communities and so that's all part of it … providing opportunities for clubs to continue participating," Mr King said.
However, Mr King said it was the clubs' responsibility to remain competitive in the Central Murray league.
"It's not in the board's hands, not in the AFL's hands.
"Ultimately, it's been their choice, it's been their decision as to what they do for the future of their club."
Wandella Football Netball Club president Leigh Hollingworth said the decision finally gave the club clarity moving forward.
"We know exactly where we're going next year, and it gives us that certainty when we're approaching players to recruit and appointing coaches … we can now say we'll be playing in the Central Murray in 2026," he said.
"It's a good result and it's an exciting time for the club."
Mr Hollingworth admitted the move came with its challenges.
"We understand that it's going to be different to the Golden Rivers, it's going to be a higher standard of competition," he said.
"There's some very good players and very good teams in there, so we don't think that we're going to come in and, you know, be one of the top teams or anything like that."
However, Moulamein Football Netball Club president Neville Willox said the club would enter next season with an open mind, but he was concerned about its future as part of the bigger league.
"If you look at the [Golden Rivers] this year, it's very even and that's what you want in football," Mr Willcox said.
"We've all enjoyed each other as clubs over the past years, competing, and it's more like a social gathering of a Saturday … rather than just there to play, win and go home.
Mr Willox would have liked to have seen two separate divisions created.
"If you look at all country football, there's so many competitions where there's clubs that are losing by big margins," he said.
"I think the people that are running football need to look harder at fixing these competitions up to make them much more competitive."
AFL Victoria and the Regional Council will now decide whether to approve the transfers.
Wednesday's decision has left Macorna as the only football netball club from the Golden Rivers competition without a league for 2026.
Macorna president Tenielle Edge said the club would apply to join the Loddon Valley Football Netball League in the coming days.
"We think that there's a lot of clubs that are like us in that league — community-minded, and we're just excited to be joining them and making a fresh start," she said.
Ms Edge said the Central Murray League was not feasible for Macorna and the move would have had long-term implications for the club.
"We're just a small county club that doesn't have a township, so we just don't see ourselves fitting into that league," she said.
"Factoring in travel and the cost, we just didn't think it was going to work for Macorna.
"It's no secret to anyone that we've had a bit of a tough year on the field and on the court … that's hard to continue with people not enjoying losing week in, week out, and we felt that would be the likelihood in the Central Murray."