THE demise of the Smythesdale Football Netball Club is not simply a loss of a sporting hub, but could pose serious threats to a small town’s future says the devastated community.
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After the Mininera Football Netball League voted against the Bulldogs joining its league next season, it means the club - which has seen more than $1 million work put into its facilities is recent years - is left without a home.
Club members now fear going into recess will more than likely be the final nail in the coffin.
Secretary Bronwyn Cranny said there was a shattered feeling among the entire community.
“We’ve been part of this club for nine years, this is our home, this is our town, this is our community. All of our six kids have played here,” Mrs Cranny said.
“It’s extremely frustrating because we have a club, we just need somewhere to play. It’s not like we need to merge, we have enough numbers in our seniors, our juniors, our netball, we have great volunteers who run the club and great facilities.
“We had players who wanted to play senior football, we just simply could not play in the Central Highlands League, because it was too strong for us, you can’t have players fronting up game-after-game and year-after-year and getting beaten by 200 points.
“We’ve stood on the sidelines watching our sons getting thumped every week and it’s just too demoralising. We as a committee felt we had a duty of care to them. We have players who were prepared to come back from the Maryborough league and play, but they didn’t want us.”
READ MORE: Smythesdale requests move to another league
And its not just the club feeling the loss.
Smythesdale Post Mistress Wendy Patten said she feared for the future of the town without a social hub. “It’s sad for the whole town to lose a club,” she said. “What’s going to happen to the kids? Where will they play?
While Smythesdale has lacked a senior football team for the past two years, it’s netball and junior levels are thriving.
We’ve been part of this club for nine years, this is our home, this is our town, this is our community.
- Smythesdale Club Secretary Bronwyn Cranny
Junior Netball coordinator Katrina Halloran said there were dozens of juniors who would now lose a team.
“Our netball numbers have been fantastic, they are a great group of girls and all they want to do is play netball together,” Ms Halloran said.
“We’ve done everything we need to do, it’s a shame simply because we can’t fill one side all of these kids in football and netball have nowhere to play.
“I definitely feel for the kids in town now, I’ve got three kids, two footballers and one netball and it’s a huge shame, all they want to do is get out there and play in their home town with their friends. Where will they now be able to go as a group? Ballarat has excess numbers already.
“We want to stay as a club. To see the town growth, there are people out here everywhere, for a plalce to have no social hub is devastating.
“We’d get down here at 7am on a Saturday and we’re still here socialising at 9pm, that’s all going to disappear.”
Junior Football co-ordinator Adam Webb said it was hoped Mininera would help out the club, but the biggest disappointment had come from the rejection by the Marybourgh Castlemaine District Football League.
“From a geographical point of view, even Castlemaine was getting pretty far, but it was much more inviting to be part of that league, but to see what’s happened with both leagues is disappointing as a whole,” he said.
READ MORE: Smythesdale future decided as MDFL vote
“All the coaches box will get finished next week, but unfortunately the only thing the ground will be used for now is cricket.
“We too over as a committee last year and everything was pointed towards getting juniors involved as the best thing for the club. But it’s just not been enough.
“We’ve got kids all the way up to under 18s, but where they go now, who knows?”
Mr Webb said the committee was realistic to know it will be a hard slog returning the club to competition.
“If it all goes into recess, we’re going to have to fight extremely hard to get that back,” he said.
“You’re not going to get that lower level coming through in five or six years time. Every week our Auskick numbers were growing, but without somewhere to play, we’re not going to be able to keep that going.”
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