IN SEPTEMBER 2002, Merbein was the toast of the Sunraysia
Football League. The Magpies were celebrating their first
premiership since 1975 a victory achieved in extraordinary
circumstances
when Mal Miller bombed a 60-metre torpedo punt after
the siren to nudge out Wentworth.
Powered by a legion of imported players and coached by former Essendon wingman Merv Neagle, Merbein won another flag 12 months later.
For a club that had been a regular cellar-dweller, these were heady days.
But Merbein's rapid rise was soon matched by an even quicker fall. Having spent all their money and more, the Magpies were unable to keep their hired guns.
Today, the club finds itself at death's door. Due to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, there is no guarantee it will be around for the party.
"Back in 2002 and 2003, the footy club pretty much bought a couple of premierships," says president Ian Carter. "After those years, that committee walked and we've never really recovered."
Drawing on a population of around 2500, wins were rare for Merbein until the arrival of Neagle. He helped recruit players from far and wide, including the highly regarded Hooker brothers Matthew and Michael from Darwin. As a result, victories were plentiful and crowds huge during 2002 and '03. Locals lapped up the consecutive premierships. But the club was now deep in debt.
"They said it was my fault, mate," Neagle said last week. "But every one of those players went to the committee with a price tag. The committee had to decide, 'Can we afford him?' They made the decisions. Then they realised they'd overspent and I got the blame."
Neagle moved on, first to East Devonport in Tasmania. In 2006, he and a number of former Merbein stars won a flag for Balranald in the Central Murray league.
During this period, Merbein slumped. Apart from the financial issues, its greatest problem was opposition sides poaching its talented juniors.
"Their secondary school only goes to year 10," says Sunraysia league administration manager Michael Iredale. "The kids then go into Mildura to complete their VCE. They pal up with new mates in town and want to go and play footy with those mates."
Between 2004 and 2007, the Magpies' senior team won only seven of 72 matches. Last year, Neagle was asked to return. This time, however, there was no miraculous on-field revival.
Merbein was victorious just once in 2008 a 41-point triumph over fellow battler South Mildura in round 14.
Despite initially agreeing to stay for two seasons, Neagle quit.
"Behind my back, they were accusing me of raping the club," he says. "There was too much bloody finger pointing.
"Because of the success we had last time, they thought it was all going to turn around. It doesn't work like that. We had no money. If you haven't got the cattle, you're not going to win games."
Neagle coached St Mary's to a flag in Darwin over summer and is now in charge at Mount Barker in the West Australian wheatbelt.
"I hope the place (Merbein) doesn't fold," he says. "They've got some great kids coming through. But since we won those flags, they've had the wrong people running the show and with no support from the community. The blokes in charge now are working their arses off, and their hearts are in the right spot, but the horse might have bolted."
The true depth of Merbein's crisis was revealed at its annual general meeting in late January, when an operating loss of $34,000 was declared for '08.
With the club on the verge of collapse, Carter a Mildura-to-Melbourne truck driver and long-time Magpies supporter put up his hand to be president.
Ruckman Leigh Riordan agreed to sign on as coach. A product of the Merbein juniors, Riordan played in the 2002 and '03 premierships, before following Neagle to Balranald.
Realising they faced a player shortage, Carter and Riordan travelled to Darwin in the hope of snaring a few recruits, but the lack of cash meant they came back empty-handed.
"The cheapest blokes up there wanted $700 a game," Carter laments.
On the eve of the season, the new guard's hard work seemed in vain. When the senior, reserves and under-18 players were asked to train together, fewer than 20 showed up.
Facing the prospect of fielding only a senior team in the early rounds, Carter and his committee went public with their predicament.
Letters were mailed to former players and lapsed members; opposition clubs were contacted. The response has been remarkable.
In recent weeks, Merbein's membership has grown from 120 to more than 300.
"After we went public, the first bloke who rang me was Mildura coach Ash Connick," recalls Carter. "He said, 'Put me down as a member. At least when we play you buggers, I won't have to pay at the gate!' That's only the first example. There'd be more than one person from every club, who has supported us by buying membership tickets."
On the field, things have improved as well and the Magpies have yet to forfeit a game.
"A few of the old, fat-bellied blokes have pulled their woollen jumpers out of the cupboard, nailed in a few stops and got out there," jokes Iredale. "They had a very good gate out there last Saturday. As a league, we're very confident they'll get through."
Merbein's financial situation remains dire. But the Magpies, whose main income source is providing catering at the Mildura Harness Racing Club and Olympic Park Motorcycle Speedway, hope to finally get back in the black when a major fundraising event is held next month.
Organised by local schoolteacher and musician Josh Lee, the "Save the Magpies Big Bash" concert will take place at Settlers Mildura on Saturday, May 16.
"He's raised $25,000 worth of sponsorship, so there'll be a big auction on the night," says Carter. "All the SFL clubs have been sent 50 tickets and they've agreed to try to sell them. All those sorts of positives are really heartening and keep us going."
Given the recent support, the Magpies should be around for their centenary. And it appears all involved with the club have learned a valuable lesson.
"Gone are the days when we go and buy a premiership," Carter
says. "To secure the future of our club, we've got to have players
coming through the juniors and then hold onto them."
By Adam McNicol
Article first appeared The Sunday Age, April 19, 2009
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