From the Weekly Times
WESTERN Border Football League chief executive David Heard admits his clubs will "get to know each other pretty well". In just one off-season, the Mt Gambier-based competition has shrunk from nine clubs to six and shelved its affiliation with the Victorian Country Football League.
The reshuffle means Western Border's six remaining clubs - North Gambier, South Gambier, West Gambier and East Gambier and Millicent in South Australia and Casterton in Victoria - will play each other three times in a reduced 15-round season.
"It looks as though we're going to have a competitive league, and that's the main issue," Heard said.
"There's a lot of excitement."
The league's summer of upheaval was driven by the Southern Border Review by the VCFL and the South Australian Community Football League, Western Border's new overseer.
In response to the review, ex-Western Border clubs Hamilton and Hamilton Imperials merged as Hamilton Kangaroos and, along with fellow Western Border club Portland, joined Hampden Football League.
Heard said the exodus had brought the remaining clubs closer together.
"They realise now more than ever that we all need each other," he said.
"We've got a challenge, particularly in the next 12 months, to consolidate what we've got, but I think people have accepted that this is the way forward."
At the request of clubs the league has overhauled its junior structure, axing its under-18 competition in favour of under-17s and under-15s on Saturdays, with under-14s and below remaining on Sundays.
Heard said the decision to increase to four football games on Saturdays would "expand the league's family environment".
With four clubs just a handful of kilometres apart in Mt Gambier, the league has altered its fixture so Casterton and Millicent play more home games than away.
Reduced travel time has also led to a second under-12 netball competition and a drastic fall in umpire costs.
But losing clubs had affected sponsorship and the league's projected finals income, Heard said. Scheduled afternoon games followed by night games might attract bigger crowds.
"Something that wasn't addressed properly in the review was the financial implications," he said. "There has been a fallout ... we had a lot of good (sponsorship) support through Hamilton and Warrnambool."
