On The Pine wrote:The Gimp wrote:Footy Smarts wrote:the big fella wrote:Fs.. good post but how can country div clubs complete with the money being offered by central clubs.
Most country clubs budget for players would be $30/40 k at max.
central clubs would be double that for say Uri,blackwood, Mounts etc
true big fella but if a club was to use their money for good and not evil then they'd get somewhere. On serious note what Im trying to point at is that if I were to (for example) be in-charge of a country div club I'd urge us to spend up on building a solid foundation by becoming the best junior club period. Build pride, develop players and move them up through the access to good coaches etc all while saving money in the kitty each season to ensure I was keeping the kids at the club when rivals come knocking. Thus building a solid foundation however to do this you need to retain/recruit wisely to stay around the middle of the table atleast in the seniors.
In summary, not impossible but needs to be developed like any good business. If you can save capital by developing your product to compete with the best in the industry then you're on a winner. Good product at half the cost, once you start winning, players come knocking and with them so do supporters, sponsors etc....
FS, it's not a bad theory but I think you overlooking a big factor - and that is the majority of the Country Div clubs (us included) have only small towns and and areas to get "local" players from. There's no way Birdwood, Kersbrook, Gum, Maccy, Cally, Sedan etc would be able to fully support two senior teams with just locals. We HAVE to recruit in players for two reasons, firstly to make sure we've got enough players and secondly to be competitive and ultimately aim for the flag because winning builds a culture that junior players want to be around. The problem with a lot of younger guys coming up through the ranks these days is that they think they should be getting looked after because they are a local and have been loyal in the junior grades.
The way I see it (and use the theory myself) is that this is my town and community and if I don't take some sort of ownership and put my hand up to support my footy club and do everything I can (including NOT asking for $$) then when my kids grow up, they will still have a footy club to play for.
If you stop paying imports and give the money to the locals, then the success is going to drop off and in the end the local will go elsewhere to try and play with a bit of success.................and then you've got no-one.
Running a country club is a constant juggling act and you have to try and get the balance right between looking after your locals and getting the right imports to build a successful club right through from seniors to U8's.
I would like to think here at Birdwood we have got a pretty good junior program with 6 out of the 7 grades competing and a few colts flags on the wall in the past decade.....................now to try and get an A grade one to put with it!
Gimp, agree with your sentiments, but 'Gen Y me/what's in it for me?' don't understand that yet. Their attitudes and the attitudes of whatever they're going to call the current junior generation, are the biggest threat to any marginal footy club!
FS there are no Footy Smarts in your post. Its easy for the HFL and posters like yourself to say "look at the Central Clubs they have great Junior Programs". Mt Barker, Hahndorf, Mt Lofty , and Black Wood probably have feeder populations double or triple the populations of Gum, Birdwood Kersbrook and Mt Torrens combined, Including Lobethal these five towns (along with Williamstown and One Tree Hill) feed Birdwood High School which has about 850 students if you assume half are boys and take out the kids that play other sports the ones that lack the willingness or ability to play sport at all that doesnt leave many to go around. Then you get the good players parents pi55ing their ears telling them thay are too good for a struggling club then you get the really good players that go to Norwood only to have them Pi55 in their ears telling them they stand a better chance of getting selected if they play in a better competition.
Nairne primary School I believe has 350 students Gum Kersbrook and Birdwood wouldnt have that may combined you could probably add Mt Torrens and still not get to 350. It doesnt matter how hard you try you cant turn 8 boys in to a good Junior Colts Team and hang on to them in the long term. Kersbrook are struggling to field either a senior colt or a junior colts team , Gum likewise, Birdwood are relying on poaching colts from their neighbours, Mt Torrens likewise. I think Lobey have good numbers but not sure about there quality.
The bottom line is that there are too many teams in the area and not enough population, its either pay recruits, die or merge (which is currently considered death by the clubs mentioned)
We've lost quite a few colts over the last few years to neighbouring clubs and any players that have come across have done it because we've got a bloody good junior program which has been really well run by Mike Falls, John Cunningham and Kym Carter.
