Putting aside more than six decades of animosity was never going to be a walk in the park. But the people overseeing the merger of Hamilton's two football-netball clubs found themselves breathing easier when more than 300 people turned up to vote on the new entity's name, nickname and colours last October.

''We were probably overawed by the amount of people that cared about it,'' said Lachy Patterson, who worked as a consultant on the merger.

Patterson, who grew up in Hamilton and moved back to the rural city after working as the media manager for the Australian cricket team for many years, became even happier when the name Hamilton Kangaroos was accepted without protest, even though the voting was close (Hamilton Kangaroos received 29.5 per cent of the votes, edging out Hamilton Power on 26.5 per cent. Hamilton United Kangaroos and Hamilton United Power were the other names that received some support.)

The impetus for Hamilton (population 10,100) becoming a one-team town for the first time since 1947 was a review of the game's health in south-west Victoria and south-east South Australia. Released last July, the review found that both Hamilton (the Magpies) and Hamilton Imperial (known as Imps or the Bulldogs) were finding it tougher and tougher to remain competitive in the Mount Gambier-based Western Border league.

In fact, the clubs were struggling to field reserves most weeks. It was also noted that the Imps had tried to move to the Warrnambool-based Hampden league on no fewer than five occasions.

Among the review's key recommendations was that the two Hamilton clubs merge as soon as possible and aim to join the Hampden league for the 2013 season. There were always going to be a few dramas along the way, especially given the short time frame involved. The first of them arose not long after the Hamilton Kangaroos name was chosen and it was agreed that the new club would wear North Melbourne-style jumpers. The flashpoint was the decision to appoint the Imperials' last senior coach, dynamic midfielder Jake Myles, as the Kangaroos' first senior coach. Supporters and players who had been aligned to the Magpies were less than impressed.

Such a reaction was hardly a surprise. When it came to football, the town had been in a state of civil war since a split within the original Hamilton footy club (sparked by a dispute over the coaching position) led to the formation of Hamilton Imperial in the lead-up to the 1948 season.

Myles soldiered on until late January. Then it was decided his close connection to Imps and some wayward behaviour away from the club had rendered his position untenable. He was sacked and replaced by local legend Mick Edmonds.

A curator at the Hamilton racecourse, Myles, who coached Imps into the second week of the WBFL finals last year, initially indicated he would remain with the Kangaroos as a player. But he will instead line up against them after signing with North Warrnambool in February.

The man who replaced Myles is also seen as an Imps man, having led the club to Western Border league flags in 1993 and '95. But Edmonds' impeccable standing in the community and outstanding footballing resume (the 46-year-old played two games for Collingwood in 1986, ran around in the SANFL, and had previously coached in the Hampden league) meant his appointment was widely praised.

Many of the older players who were mainstays in the Hamilton and Imps reserves last season, have moved out to the nearby district league clubs. As a result, Edmonds is guiding a squad that features most of the town's best young talent.

So far, the signs have been positive. The Roos were runner-up in the Hampden league's recent pre-season competition, which was won by Koroit, so local expectations about the season ahead are starting to rise.

''Given we have a lot of young players, we're probably 20 to 40 games away from really creating some serious damage,'' Hamilton Kangaroos chairman Paul Block said.

''But we're excited about our prospects. We're aiming to be more than just competitive.''

The entry of the Kangaroos and another former Western Border league club, Portland, into the Hampden league has created plenty of new points for discussion among south-west Victoria's many football followers.

Portland, which won the WBFL flag in 2006, '07 and '08, has brought with it a strong history of success. The Tigers will get their new era under way with a home game against perennial battler Port Fairy on Saturday, while the Kangaroos will host Cobden next Sunday.

By Adam McNicol

Article first appeared The Sunday Age, April 7 2013

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