HFL Division 1 (Central)

[cracka]

Balhannah is given way too many grand finals for a very average surface and a terrible place for viewing when it's packed. Lobey and Handorf are perfect venues.

Shit, I thought the Balhannah surface is one of the best in the hills, also a good size & flat. Loby is definitely the best oval for the GF (used to be there every year in the early 90's) with the bank going around the outer side & the clubrooms/shelter shed/bbq shed almost filling the other side & Hahndorf would be 2nd. Lofty is good when dry, always loved the abuse from the balcony.
For those that don't know, a percentage of the gate takings is worked out & the club hosting the GF has to pay the HFL which is then divvied up & given to the 9 clubs not hosting it.

[Legs Man]

Yes it's another bugbear seeing clubs spend little on facilities and lots on recruits.
While these clubs are gifted finals AKA Mt Barker last year it provides no leverage to enforce spending on their facilities.
It is always going to be this way while the board seems to be swayed into making these fixture decisions.
You only have to look at the ludicrous finals draw this year to see this first hand - then to add insult to injury the 2 week break within the finals series which shows one of the worst lack of foresight situations I have ever witnessed.
I am not professing to have all the answers - albeit that is a point of view by many - but blind Freddy could see that manipulating the draw mid season with a split round or enforcing an extra bye in Div 2 would have solved the problem.
Remember that Div 1 is the supposed pinnacle of Hills football and as such should be provided with a normal finals series across the normal timeframe.
Must admit though when it comes to the HFL normal is now becoming highly questionable.

Legs, there was actually a special meeting about 2 months back to decide a spilt round which would have happened over the past 2 weeks. Guess what though, the clubs voted it out straight away and weren't interested. You can see the board tried only to be knocked back again.

Correct & I've said that before on here. Don't let the truth get in the way of having yet another dig at the board though.

Wow - Chop / Crack - my humblest apologies to the board if they tried to implement a change to the finals structure to bring it back into line.

It should however have not occurred in the first place.

Why did the clubs knock it back - can anyone shed some light on this

[Yellow & Black]

Correct Cracka, after you divvy up the GF gate, it's more profitable for a club to host any other final especially when recent years suggest too few clubs are represented, this year is shaping up no different where Blackwood will probably play off in the U13's right through to B's, and could well be playing Hahndorf in all those games. If Hahndorf make the A's, the HFL could be facing a GF Day where only 3 clubs are represented....

Barker look handy in the 17's, Lofty are going ok in the 13's which might add a bit more colour on the day. Also a bit to play out in the A's obviously.

[chopper7]

Yes it's another bugbear seeing clubs spend little on facilities and lots on recruits.
While these clubs are gifted finals AKA Mt Barker last year it provides no leverage to enforce spending on their facilities.
It is always going to be this way while the board seems to be swayed into making these fixture decisions.
You only have to look at the ludicrous finals draw this year to see this first hand - then to add insult to injury the 2 week break within the finals series which shows one of the worst lack of foresight situations I have ever witnessed.
I am not professing to have all the answers - albeit that is a point of view by many - but blind Freddy could see that manipulating the draw mid season with a split round or enforcing an extra bye in Div 2 would have solved the problem.
Remember that Div 1 is the supposed pinnacle of Hills football and as such should be provided with a normal finals series across the normal timeframe.
Must admit though when it comes to the HFL normal is now becoming highly questionable.

Legs, there was actually a special meeting about 2 months back to decide a spilt round which would have happened over the past 2 weeks. Guess what though, the clubs voted it out straight away and weren't interested. You can see the board tried only to be knocked back again.

Correct & I've said that before on here. Don't let the truth get in the way of having yet another dig at the board though.

Wow - Chop / Crack - my humblest apologies to the board if they tried to implement a change to the finals structure to bring it back into line.

It should however have not occurred in the first place.

Why did the clubs knock it back - can anyone shed some light on this

My understanding is it clashed with functions already put in place, and I'm just guessing here but the bottom 5 or so at the time would vote against it purely because it doesn't affect them at all.

Agreed it shouldn't have happened in the first place, that all happened because the CFL wanted div 2 to have the week off for the Country Champs well.

[Legs Man]

Being a programming situation don't the HFL make these decisions independent from the clubs - the same as allocating venues etc.?
At least they acknowledged their mistake this time which is a good sign.
CFL seem to have too much say in the way Hills footy is formulated which scares the $*it out of me considering the changes they are said to be implementing moving forward.
Don't be fooled by their rhetoric as SANFL and SAAFL are their charter and priority - then damn the rest!

[lovethefooty]

either way, or however it happened, I cannot believe anyone who knows anything about football could possibly think that
the finals structure for this year is a good one. to me, that is the scariest thing!!

I suppose the only consolation is that if you have to worry about it, it means you have made finals.

[cracka]

Yep, I still don't see why Div 2 couldn't have played on the Country Champs weekend. I know the CFL said no but they also govern SAAFL & let their div 7 play on both the June Long weekends & the CC weekend, yet all their other divisions had to have those 2 weekends off.

[lovethefooty]

surely making round 17 a split round for the hfl central would have done the trick. surely??

[cracka]

Haven't you read choppers post above. That's what the board tried to do.

[running defender]

Any truth T/Vally have applied to join BLG league ?
And the reason is salary cap doesn't suit them.
Onkas might survive , I would like them to witness country Div first hand then they might realise why we didn't want to play there anymore.

[cracka]

Any truth T/Vally have applied to join BLG league ?
And the reason is salary cap doesn't suit them.
Onkas might survive , I would like them to witness country Div first hand then they might realise why we didn't want to play there anymore.

Doubt it as they dont have the juniors or netball to join BL&G. Maybe try SAAFL

[Milly]

Any truth T/Vally have applied to join BLG league ?
And the reason is salary cap doesn't suit them.
Onkas might survive , I would like them to witness country Div first hand then they might realise why we didn't want to play there anymore.

If Onkas do get the drop, they'll be doing it with a new coach for 2016. McGahey got a tap on the shoulder. Think he was on a 2 year deal, but he might have been just warming the seat for Kris Massie

[lovethefooty]

does that mean they will pay him out his contract??
seems a bit rough......doesn't it??

[Spiderman]

Lobey getting a big 11 goal won over uri

[Dutchy]

A great win by the Tigers yesterday secured them an Elimination Final appearance against Hahndorf at Mt Pleasant Oval.
Qualifying Final Echunga vs Torrens Valley at Mt Barker.
Uraidla into the second semi-final.

[lovethefooty]

I thought I would throw these two questions out there.
is anyone surprised with the results from Saturday??
extension question
is anyone surprised with the teams that finished in the top 5?

[Banker]

I thought I would throw these two questions out there.
is anyone surprised with the results from Saturday??
extension question
is anyone surprised with the teams that finished in the top 5?

Haha...

How about one for you lovethefooty- How many games did Mt Barker win in the first 10 rounds this year?

[Elmer J Thudpucker]

I thought I would throw these two questions out there.
is anyone surprised with the results from Saturday??
extension question
is anyone surprised with the teams that finished in the top 5?

Two major surprises for me - Hahndorf and Ironbank.

Didn't expect Hahndorf to rise so quickly after winning the wooden spoon in 2014. However they recruited selectively to supplement their good youngsters which has made all the difference.

Ironbank are the big disappointment. I'd hate to add up what that club has paid in Coaches and Player wages over the past 2 years for no result. A good lesson to other clubs that a high profile coach and expensive ex-AFL imports doesn't guarantee anything but a decreasing bank balance.

[lovethefooty]

mt barker didn't win many banker...but they stormed home.

credit must go to Uraidla for continuing to set the pace...every year it is suggested they must fall..too old etc..
every year the butter up again.

[Legs Man]

Really strong top 5 with any side capable of taking it out IMO
Mt Barker left their run too late and would have given it a big crack if they made it.

2 questions:
What is Mt Barker ovals condition ?
What is the final outcome for the relegation table and final standings ?