IN what is a very heated and controversial topic, the existence of both the Millewa and SFNL has been discussed with vigour for an incredibly long time.
In short, my answer to whether the leagues can co-exist moving forward is “no”.
My reasons for this are not down to mismanagement of either league, mismanagement of clubs in either league or anything from a structural perspective. It is
simply down to numbers and playing numbers, in particular, for both leagues.
I agree that the netballcompetition and the women’s football league in the Millewa are strong with their numbers. But the men’s football side unfortunately is not.
And in nature, it is simple. The big fish will always eat the little fish.
So either the Millewa league does something right now to ensure their survival in some way or they will end up with nothing left at all very, very soon.
Over the last few weeks I have read articles and heard from very passionate past and present players and administrators about the need for the Millewa league to continue to stand alone.
While I can understand the passion they have for the league and consider some of the arguments in favour of the league staying independent from the SFNL to be good arguments, I don’t feel that the arguments or reasons behind it are strong enough to move forward without major changes as they seem to be based more on emotions rather than logic.
In most cases, the main argument is to not eradicate history. History of the league, history of the clubs involved in the league, the rivalries and most importantly the history of each community
involved in the Millewa league.
The other argument I hear as to why the Millewa league should continue to stand alone is the community involvement and the social aspect.
While they do have a great social aspect and I envy the culture that each club have been able to have for many years now, again this is not enough.
If you are struggling to field a side, or have multiple sides getting whacked week in, week out by 100-plus points, I can guarantee you that your “social aspect” will quickly disappear, if it hasn’t already.
We are all too aware of the struggles, so what is the solution?
I believe the answer has been sitting right under our nose.
The history of Ouyen United and their current set-up I believe is the answer we have been looking for.
Born from the culmination of the two Mallee leagues (northern and southern) coming together in the ’90s to form the old Mallee league and then the merger between Ouyen and Walpeup-Underbool to essentially form a combined team from the one league (the Southern Mallee Giants went the other way to the Wimmera League), this could be our perfect solution.
A merger of the remaining Millewa sides to create a 10th football and netball club in the SFNL – the “Millewa United Football and Netball Club”.
These are the key points as to why I believe a 10th side would be beneficial for both leagues and how I propose it would work.
- It allows the league to retain the history of the Millewa Football League by providing it with a new identity as an amalgamated club.
- A senior and reserve side would need approximately 50 players to cover both sides, if each of the six clubs have an average now of 25 players registered that would leave 100 players left over that can join other local clubs. Even if the remaining 100 players went to each club minus Ouyen United and Robinvale Euston it would give each club an influx of about 14 new players which is more than enough to cover shortages in the reserves for each side.
- The netball competition would add one more grade to the senior ranks to cover the influx of the overflow of netballers coming to other clubs. It would add two new grades, an A Reserve and B Reserve grade, which would make the new competition grades of A, A Reserve, B, B Reserve, C and C Reserve. If each side were allowing nine players per grade, each senior club would receive an influx of potentially 18 new players to each club, again assuming Ouyen United and Robinvale Euston don’t receive more players, so the two new grades should cover this.
- Should numbers drop away and players don’t come to new clubs, just the one extra grade would be added which would be B Reserve.
- If Ouyen United and Robin-vale/Euston do not have the capacity to add two more sides, there would be a bye provided for each of those rounds for those grades, as is the norm now in the Under-18 competition where Imperials have not been fielding sides for football.
- The Sunraysia Women’s Football League would have five of the current women’s teams associated with five SFNL clubs and one to the new Millewa United Football Netball Club.
- With the strong emergence of the Girls Under-14s competition each Sunday, it should push numbers quite quickly up into senior ranks very quickly for a strong, healthy women’s senior and junior competition.
- The SFNL would change junior age groups for football to U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17 with only one team per club for each grade.
- A local Millewa side clubroom will be selected as the main training and social hub of the club. My suggestion would be the closer to town, the better.
You would need first-class lighting for training at this oval.
I have no doubt these suggestions are going to ruffle quite a few feathers and maybe upset and anger people associated with the Millewa football and netball leagues.
But if something is not done soon, you will only have memories of the Millewa with nothing left to show for it.
