A Merrigum premiership player believes there is a solution to his former club’s current on-field woes.
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Kevin Andrews, who spent 10 years playing with the Kyabram District League Bulldogs in the 1950s and was member of their 1953 premiership side believes a merger with fellow league club Girgarre could ensure the future of both clubs.
Kevin, 91, and along with Neil Lowe the only survivors of Merrigum’s 1953 flag-winning side, said Merrigum and Girgarre were currently struggling for on-field success, particularly his old club, which managed only two behinds in a 200-plus-point drubbing by top side Murchison-Toolamba last Saturday.
‘‘Something needs to be done, particularly at my old club, and a merger to me could solve the problems of both clubs,’’ Kevin said.
A former mayor of Kyabram, Kevin loves his country footy and is a regular at Kyabram games.
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Kyabram Football Netball Club president John Guinan isn’t entertaining the talk of a merger between the Goulburn Valley and Bendigo leagues.
It’s only talk at this stage and Guinan said he had heard nothing official about a possible merger.
But he said he personally wouldn’t be in favour of it.
‘‘I know a couple of clubs are battling a bit, but I think the GVL is going quite well at the moment, so why change it.’’
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Kyabram Football Club’s unbeaten run this season is not something it owns by itself.
Before last weekend, the 43 Victorian country leagues had 17 clubs who had progressed this far into the season without a loss, which is quite amazing.
Three of those clubs yet to beaten are Murchison-Toolamba (Kyabram District League), Congupna (Murray Football League) and Waaia (Picola District Football League) are all within the Goulburn Murray region.
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Kyabram footy great Ross Dillon suggests the Bombers’ former long-serving trainer Barry “Sparks’’ McMeekin may have to move the magnets a bit in the wake of another Bomber great, Garry Lyon, recently being installed in the VFL Hall of Fame.
Sparks named his best and second best Kyabram teams in 2020 in these columns.
Sparks was well qualified to have an opinion as he had been around the GVL scene for more than 60 years as a player and trainer.
He started his football career captaining Tongala in the first season of a GVL thirds competition in 1958 in which only western towns contested.
He spent 15 seasons at Tongala before moving to Kyabram to live.
Sparks, who doesn’t enjoy the best of health these days, went on to serve Kyabram Football Club as a trainer for 37 years.
In his best Kyabram team in his time Sparks named Garry Lyon on a forward flank, but given the former Melbourne long-serving skipper’s recent accolade Ross Dillon believes he has earned a shift to a more responsible role.
Ross, tongue in cheek I presume, has suggested Sparks may be able to move Garry to the forward pocket in updated Kyabram team!
Forward pocket?
Now that’s not a more responsible position than a half-forward flank in my humble position.
Why not centre half-forward where he played some of his greatest football.
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Picola District Football League has got on the front foot quickly when news of the possibility of the Golden Rivers League going into recess surfaced.
The Picola league has already had talks with five Golden Rivers clubs — Moulamein, Hay, Marcona, Wandella and Murrabit – about a possible move to its league if their league folds.
The Golden Rivers League’s future at the moment is in doubt and hinging on a bid by one its clubs, Ultima, to join the Central Murray League next season.
If this happens the Golden Rivers League would have only five clubs.
The Golden Rivers League and Central Murray League are administered by the same body which has expressed a desire that the Golden Rivers League clubs be absorbed by Central Murray League if Ultima is successful in its bid to join the league.
Picola District league general manager Shane Railton confirmed his league had had talks with the five Golden Rivers clubs about a possible shift to the PDFNL, but under the condition it was run as a separate league.
He said there was no intention for the five Golden Rivers League clubs to merge with some current Picola District league clubs to form another competition (or second division).
Geographically, present Picola District league clubs Deniliquin Rovers, Mathoura and Blighty look a good fit for an extended Picola league competition, but Railton said these clubs would not be pressured to consider such a move.
‘‘If they want to they could, but it’s entirely up to them,’’ Railton said.
The Picola league once had two divisions, but returned to a one division league in 2018.
The five Golden Rivers clubs involved are expected to make decisions on their futures shortly once Ultima’s future is decided.
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Four-year-old pacer Ultimate Machette gelding Cuzzy Bro completed successive wins for Kyabram trots trainer Kristy Butler when he scored a soft win at Bendigo on June 25.
Coming off an impressive win at his previous start at Shepparton Cuzzy Bro was urged to the front early by reinsman Mark Pitt who dictated the pace for the 1650m trip.
It was also Cuzzy Bro’s fifth start in Victoria after 20 starts in Tasmania which produced four wins and six minor placings.
Cuzzy Bro’s 1:54.0 mile rate in his latest win was a PB.
He is out of the Christian Cullen mare Invest, a winner of three races.
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