THE impact of drought is being felt right across our vast region.
In the last few months, Sunraysia Daily has travelled far and wide to speak to people on the land, to hear and tell their stories and capture dramatic images that paint a clear picture of the conditions they are living through.
We have been to many properties throughout the barren Millewa, where expensive crops have failed again, leaving many farmers at the end of their tether.
We have spoken to those who are offloading stock they have been hand-feeding since the start of the year, but can no longer keep up.
We have headed to stations in the far west of New South Wales, where times are just as tough.
And this week, reporters Allan Murphy and Lauren Adcock, along with photographer Carmel Zaccone, made the trip to Pooncarie, where the Darling River has run dry.
The Darling is the town’s lifeline and the sad reality is Pooncarie is on its knees.
They are a tough and resilient lot, but as one local told our reporters, these are “bloody wicked times”.
The Sunraysia Daily crew caught up with cafe owners, the publican, school kids who used to swim in the river but now have to cool off by tipping a bucket of water over their heads.
They chatted with people who retired by the river for a spot of fishing, only to find that now they can drive across its dry banks.
And they spent a night in the pub to hear that the locals don’t want to be considered a charity case, but they don’t want to be forgotten about either.
Axing Interleague shortsighted
THERE was once a time when country interleague football was seen as a legitimate pathway into the AFL.
Troy Makepeace was rookie-listed by the Roos the following summer and went on to play 139 AFL games over seven seasons in the early 2000s.
Troy was by no means a star of the AFL, but he got the chance to live out his dream.
The stories of AFL scouts finding hidden gems in the bush was not uncommon back then.
And those days could be returning.
AFL clubs are increasingly searching for more mature-bodied players and the addition of mid-season drafts could open more pathways.
Which is why the decision by AFL Victoria to axe the Country Championships is not just a slap in the face to grassroots competitions, but very shortsighted.
Former Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown coached the Hampden League last year and believes AFL Victoria should invest more in the concept as a chance for country players to shine.
“It’s disappointing. I just think we can do a better job of it. It is giving country football lip service,” he said this week.
Funny that at the same time AFL Victoria announced it was axing the interleague competition, the AFL announced on its own website the return of its International Rules trip, replete with a New York training camp for players and their partners ahead of the Irish Tests.
Interesting to see how many AFL officials are required for that little junket.
Personally, for the prosperity of our game, I see more value in investing at grassroots level, where the majority of future AFL players will come from.
