THE curtain will come down on almost a century of history at Rennie today when the last Coreen and District grand final is played.

Article first appeared: 15 September 2007   Herald Sun

After 98 years, the league will disband, leaving Coreen-Daysdale-Hopefield-Buraja United and Billabong Crows to decide the last premiership.

The competition, formed in 1909, had six teams in its final season: CDHBU, Billabong Crows, Wahgunyah, Jerilderie, Rennie and Coleambally.

The league has succumbed to dwindling population bases in the southern NSW region with Wahgunyah switching to the Tallangatta and District League next season.

Jerilderie will cross to the Picola and District League and the other four - CDHBU, Billabong Crows, Rennie and Coleambally - will join an expanded Hume League.

"It's going to be an emotional day because a lot of people have been going to football and netball out this way for most of their lives," long-serving secretary Lindsay Norman said.

"Unfortunately it won't happen next year and we won't quite get to 100 years."

CDHBU is an amalgamation of three clubs - Coreen, Daysdale and Hopefield-Buraja - with Coreen (14) and Daysdale (7) winning a combined 21 premierships before merging.

Hopefield-Buraja came out of recess to join Coreen-Daysdale United in recent years.

CDHBU's grand final opponent, Billabong Crows, is a merger between Urana and Oaklands who won six and seven flags respectively before agreeing to join forces.

Billabong Crows star Tyson Maloney won his fourth league best-and-fairest, the Archie Dennis Medal, this season to join John Voss (Wahgunyah) and Peter Carroll (Coreen) as four-time winners of the award.

The Coreen and District League has been the breeding ground of many stars who have reached the highest level.

They include John Longmire (North Melbourne), Jim Sandral (Melbourne) and the Houlihan brothers, Damian, Adam, Ryan and Josh, who began their careers at Wahgunyah.

CDHBU is coached by Jarrod Hanrahan and Billabong Crows by Danny Kirchen.