HFL Division 2 (Country)

[Champ]

Wade Hancock booted 16 Goals in Nairne's big win over over Kangarilla to take out Country Divisions Leading Goal Kicker Award

Congratulations; hope it makes Nairne feel like they got their monies worth.
Good work in his first year in the comp.

[The Sorce]

Anyone See Any Upsets happening in Both Grades this weekend???????
Saturdays Qualifying Final At Echunga
A Grade
Kersbrook Vs Nairne - Kersbrook by over 7 Goals - Seem to Come Good this time of the Year....
B Grade
Kersbrook Vs Nairne - Kersbrook Again by 5 Goals +

Sundays Elimination Final
A Grade
Meadows Vs Gumeracha - Meadows by 4 Goals
B Grade
Birdwood Vs Echunga - Echunga by a Goal

[Champ]

Anyone See Any Upsets happening in Both Grades this weekend???????
Saturdays Qualifying Final At Echunga
A Grade
Kersbrook Vs Nairne - Kersbrook by over 7 Goals - Seem to Come Good this time of the Year....
B Grade
Kersbrook Vs Nairne - Kersbrook Again by 5 Goals +

Sundays Elimination Final
A Grade
Meadows Vs Gumeracha - Meadows by 4 Goals
B Grade
Birdwood Vs Echunga - Echunga by a Goal

Is September 7 shaping up to be a little re-run of 2012..?

[2old2slow]

I'm with you scorse kersbrook too good even at their hoodoo ground by 10 goals plus. i'm going for gum in a boilover if quinno plays. meadows dont play nairne too well. on a side note i think big fleety would be shattered missing out on the goalkicking award knowing him it would meen more than a premiership

[Tanka]

Surely I have read wrong..... please tell me the HFL have not scheduled a final at Nairne this week!!! This oval cant be in consideration for a final in the middle of August with teams still training on it.... WTF is going on down there????

[Sniper]

Surely I have read wrong..... please tell me the HFL have not scheduled a final at Nairne this week!!! This oval cant be in consideration for a final in the middle of August with teams still training on it.... WTF is going on down there????

Nairne only option as Cambrai Oval probably too chopped up after last weekends mini league carnival in pristeen 23o conditions .....

[Champ]

Surely I have read wrong..... please tell me the HFL have not scheduled a final at Nairne this week!!! This oval cant be in consideration for a final in the middle of August with teams still training on it.... WTF is going on down there????

Nairne only option as Cambrai Oval probably too chopped up after last weekends mini league carnival in pristeen 23o conditions .....

I'm sure Milang is free!

[Pinarello]

Surely I have read wrong..... please tell me the HFL have not scheduled a final at Nairne this week!!! This oval cant be in consideration for a final in the middle of August with teams still training on it.... WTF is going on down there????

Nairne only option as Cambrai Oval probably too chopped up after last weekends mini league carnival in pristeen 23o conditions .....

I'm sure Milang is free!

Oh no here we go again......

[The Sorce]

Anyone from Nairne tell us how the oval is looking? we have had some sun over the past few days, I would think Nairne are pretty proud of their surface and would try and get it in tip top shape for the weekend?

Next week the finals will be played at Meadows (Which has been pretty torn up last time I seen that! Would have hoped to improved) & Gumeracha didnt have too much grass left on it? Wasnt that oval only ruled "Unfit to Play on" a few weeks ago?

Surely the HFL would have to revisit this suggestion? You are promoting the League in Finals as other players come from other comps to view these games, playing finals at ground like this would not be the best Advertisement! Wouldnt Kersbrook or even Birdwood be the better option for some of these 50/50 grounds?

[Banker]

Surely I have read wrong..... please tell me the HFL have not scheduled a final at Nairne this week!!! This oval cant be in consideration for a final in the middle of August with teams still training on it.... WTF is going on down there????

Didn't stop them last year either. Bring the 4WD if you plan on watching from your car!

[Armytank]

Gumeracha didnt have too much grass left on it? Wasnt that oval only ruled "Unfit to Play on" a few weeks ago?

It looked pretty good when I drove past it a week ago, thought it was strange that it was ruled unfit IMHO

[Champ]

Here's an idea you can all jump on and blast out of hte park...

Top 5 Finals
Wk 1
1 Gets First Week Off.
2v3 @ 2's Home Ground (all other grades follow)
4v5 @ 5's Home Ground (all other grades follow)

Wk 2
1vW of 2v3 @ 1's Home Ground (all others follow)
W of 4v5 plays loser of 2v3 @ either Callly or highest ranked teams home ground

Wk 3
Prelim @ Neutral Ground (any of the remaining 6 clubs ovals)

Wk 4
GF at enutral ground

Thinks thats it - bottom line have home finals as the rewqeard for finishing up the ladder - the big games like Prelim and GF's still give the other clubs a chance to host a final regardless of finish and it rewards clubs for a good season. WIth the HFL taking the gate takings then there's only really canteen money each club makes so the argument of rich clubs getting richer is crap - premiers dont get money for winning the comp and poorer clubs still get to host finals in the system above.

[cracka]

Here's an idea you can all jump on and blast out of hte park...

Top 5 Finals
Wk 1
1 Gets First Week Off.
2v3 @ 2's Home Ground (all other grades follow)
4v5 @ 5's Home Ground (all other grades follow)

Wk 2
1vW of 2v3 @ 1's Home Ground (all others follow)
W of 4v5 plays loser of 2v3 @ either Callly or highest ranked teams home ground

Wk 3
Prelim @ Neutral Ground (any of the remaining 6 clubs ovals)

Wk 4
GF at enutral ground

Thinks thats it - bottom line have home finals as the rewqeard for finishing up the ladder - the big games like Prelim and GF's still give the other clubs a chance to host a final regardless of finish and it rewards clubs for a good season. WIth the HFL taking the gate takings then there's only really canteen money each club makes so the argument of rich clubs getting richer is crap - premiers dont get money for winning the comp and poorer clubs still get to host finals in the system above.

Only problem is Callington is now classed as a central division venue due to the merger with Bridgewater & as was voted by the clubs, country div has to use country ovals. Also means Milang can't be used by either division. Can't blame the HFL board for this as it was the clubs that didn't want to change the rules.

[Armytank]

Only problem is Callington is now classed as a central division venue due to the merger with Bridgewater & as was voted by the clubs, country div has to use country ovals. Also means Milang can't be used by either division. Can't blame the HFL board for this as it was the clubs that didn't want to change the rules.

I really don't understand why the clubs voted this way, other than for clubs that currently hold finals not wanting to share the spoils of extra people thru the gate.

People complain about other clubs facilities and then deny them of the extra income that would help improve them.

Nice one Blackwood for having the sense to buck this mentality.

I know we bag the HFL for a lot of things but quite often the backward thinking is done in the boardrooms of some of our "larger" clubs first.....

[cracka]

Only problem is Callington is now classed as a central division venue due to the merger with Bridgewater & as was voted by the clubs, country div has to use country ovals. Also means Milang can't be used by either division. Can't blame the HFL board for this as it was the clubs that didn't want to change the rules.

I really don't understand why the clubs voted this way, other than for clubs that currently hold finals not wanting to share the spoils of extra people thru the gate.

People complain about other clubs facilities and then deny them of the extra income that would help improve them.

Nice one Blackwood for having the sense to buck this mentality.

I know we bag the HFL for a lot of things but quite often the backward thinking is done in the boardrooms of some of our "larger" clubs first.....

Wasn't just the larger clubs that voted this way.
You guys originally wanted to host a final at Kangarilla but the opposition to this was unbelievable.
IMO finals should be played on the best ovals with the best facilities, regardless of what division they're in.

[On The Pine]

Surely I have read wrong..... please tell me the HFL have not scheduled a final at Nairne this week!!! This oval cant be in consideration for a final in the middle of August with teams still training on it.... WTF is going on down there????

Nairne only option as Cambrai Oval probably too chopped up after last weekends mini league carnival in pristeen 23o conditions .....

Omo would go broke if you played at Cambrai. On the bright side, sunscreen sales would be up!

[FlyingHigh]

Re finals venues, why not set the finals on a rotation system like other league.
A league like the YP, with 9 teams, rotates it's finals so a club gets EF,QF,x,1st, 2nd,x,PF,GF,x (x = no finals) over a nine years period. If a team ends up with a home final, that is the luck of the draw.

Know there can be an issue with the number of teams in Div 2, but surely it's not insurmountable. If a team goes up and one drops down, they simply swap positions, if a team coming hosts a GF straight away, so be it. If a tenth team comes in, make it two years without finals after the GF (and the incoming team goes into this slot); if comp becomes eight teams, then that team is simply removed from it's slot and the thing cramps up so at one stage clubs might get to host three finals in a row.

Given the ovals are an issue in the Hills, the above can be used to formulate the last part of the minor round program.
In the last round, the 4 teams hosting the first two weeks finals play away against those not hosting those finals.
In the second last minor round the two teams hosting second week finals play at home against those hosting the first week's finals.
In this way, all finals up to and including the prelim are played on ovals that haven't had games for 2 Saturdays, virtually 3 full weeks, and the GF 3 Saturdays/4 full weeks. All clubs would be required to work towards minimum facilities standards set down by the league.

[citycoaster17]

Re finals venues, why not set the finals on a rotation system like other league.
A league like the YP, with 9 teams, rotates it's finals so a club gets EF,QF,x,1st, 2nd,x,PF,GF,x (x = no finals) over a nine years period. If a team ends up with a home final, that is the luck of the draw.

Know there can be an issue with the number of teams in Div 2, but surely it's not insurmountable. If a team goes up and one drops down, they simply swap positions, if a team coming hosts a GF straight away, so be it. If a tenth team comes in, make it two years without finals after the GF (and the incoming team goes into this slot); if comp becomes eight teams, then that team is simply removed from it's slot and the thing cramps up so at one stage clubs might get to host three finals in a row.

Given the ovals are an issue in the Hills, the above can be used to formulate the last part of the minor round program.
In the last round, the 4 teams hosting the first two weeks finals play away against those not hosting those finals.
In the second last minor round the two teams hosting second week finals play at home against those hosting the first week's finals.
In this way, all finals up to and including the prelim are played on ovals that haven't had games for 2 Saturdays, virtually 3 full weeks, and the GF 3 Saturdays/4 full weeks. All clubs would be required to work towards minimum facilities standards set down by the league.

[Ye Olde Place Kick]

Re finals venues, why not set the finals on a rotation system like other league.
A league like the YP, with 9 teams, rotates it's finals so a club gets EF,QF,x,1st, 2nd,x,PF,GF,x (x = no finals) over a nine years period. If a team ends up with a home final, that is the luck of the draw.

Know there can be an issue with the number of teams in Div 2, but surely it's not insurmountable. If a team goes up and one drops down, they simply swap positions, if a team coming hosts a GF straight away, so be it. If a tenth team comes in, make it two years without finals after the GF (and the incoming team goes into this slot); if comp becomes eight teams, then that team is simply removed from it's slot and the thing cramps up so at one stage clubs might get to host three finals in a row.

Given the ovals are an issue in the Hills, the above can be used to formulate the last part of the minor round program.
In the last round, the 4 teams hosting the first two weeks finals play away against those not hosting those finals.
In the second last minor round the two teams hosting second week finals play at home against those hosting the first week's finals.
In this way, all finals up to and including the prelim are played on ovals that haven't had games for 2 Saturdays, virtually 3 full weeks, and the GF 3 Saturdays/4 full weeks. All clubs would be required to work towards minimum facilities standards set down by the league.

Don't mind it bar the idea of a team hosting a grand final, call me a traditionalist but prefer a neutral venue.
The other possible problem that would lead to a change if the league dropped to 8 or less would they bring in a final 4?

[FlyingHigh]

Don't disagree about the tradition of a neutral venue in an ideal world Olde, but plenty of other leagues do it with fewer teams (so a greater likelihood of a competing team hosting) and it always seems to be an issue for the Hills every year.

Admittedly I hadn't thought about if the comp fell to 7 teams or below. Guessing if it was 8 they'd still play a final 5, at least for a few years. If it did become a final four, schedule would need to be redone as close as possible to the existing rotation, but theory behind the last two minor rounds would be able to remain the same.