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EITHER warmly welcomed or strongly opposed - there has been little middle ground among Heathcote District clubs in response to the league's decision to lift its under-17 age group to under-18s for next year.
Having been the most contentious topic of debate in the HDFNL for the past decade, the board made the decision last week to change to under-18s for next year only following the 2020 cancelled season.
HDFNL clubs are surrounded by leagues with under-18 competitions - Bendigo, Loddon Valley and Goulburn Valley.
The board has made its decision in an effort to retain players within the competition, concerned by a potential increase in the number of top-age players who would leave the league to get a final year of under-age football in elsewhere next season following the 2020 cancellation.
Here's what the nine club presidents have to say:
COLBINABBIN
"We are frustrated and in disbelief that the board would overrule an AFL recommendation to not reassess the change from under-17 to under-18 until 2022 without formal consultation with clubs.
"As we have no under-14s (team), how do you think we will go telling a 13-year-old and his parents he is playing football against someone who has turned 18 post new year and drives to the football, drinks alcohol and can legally smoke?
"So what will that kid do? Not play football. So the league has opted to try and retain older footballers within our league, but still playing football, for the sake of young kids who will not be playing at all.
"We have talked to enough players and parents to realise we will find it extremely hard to field a side next year." - Bernie Ryan
ELMORE
"We've always been strong supporters of the under-17s. The under-18 age bracket is a bit big for some of the under-14 kids we have playing.
"We've always enjoyed the under-17 environment... due to the current situation and with the playing list we've got, for one year it might fit the agenda of Elmore, but I'd like to see it revert back to under-17s the following year." - Dave Trewick
HEATHCOTE
"I think it's a positive move and gives us more of an opportunity to keep our players at Heathcote.
"It gives them another year in that bracket of junior football before they have to go into reserves and seniors.
"We would have struggled to field an under-17s team this year, so by being able to keep the players that we already had and then with the next group coming up, we should be able to field one no worries next year." - Rebecca Dickinson
HUNTLY
"It's good news for us. For our junior pathway under-18s is what it needs to be for it to be sustainable.
"Several years ago we voted against going to under-18s, but at that time as a club we didn't have under-16s and the volume of kids that we have now.
"We've now got under-16s and the general progression then is to go to under-18s... going from under-16s then into under-17s doesn't work for us.
"We would have had three quarters of our under-17s from this year go elsewhere next year to play under-18s because they need that extra year before going into reserves and seniors." - Sam Walker
LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER
"We're devastated by this. We don't have the numbers for an under-16 age group that can then go into under-18s.
"Three years (from under-14s to under-17s) is what we need to field a side and if it goes to four years we'll have more numbers, but it means we've got kids coming out of the under-14s playing against blokes who can go to the pub and drive their car to the footy.
"Not only are we disappointed in the decision, we're disappointed with how the league has done it. We didn't know it was on the table and we didn't get any say in it.
"There was a third-tier review (by AFL Central Victoria) last year where it was said that under-17s is the best fit for our league and without even having a kick this year we've been shafted by under-18s coming in." - Gary Kervin
LOCKINGTON-BAMAWM UNITED
"We're very disappointed... we've been against under-18s given we've only got under-14s and no under-16s.
"It's a huge step going from under-14s to play against an 18-year-old kid in terms of the size difference.
"Years ago when we were in the Bendigo league we couldn't get an under-18 team in our third year (1999)... we couldn't convince the parents to let the young kids play against 18-year-olds, so we took our kids to play at Elmore.
"With the juniors not coming through we were losing families and that impacted the netball side of things as well, so that's part of the reason why we went into the Heathcote District league because under-17s was better suited." - Col Bacon
MOUNT PLEASANT
"We're fully supportive of the decision.
"It enables young footballers when they come out (from an under-16 team) to get at least two years at the club, which enables us to get more games into them and when they move into senior footy it assists with their points value because it means they aren't going to be hooked too long with the three-point transferred junior value.
"The under-18s allow kids to be able to play against their own age for that little bit longer and that helps their development and confidence.
"With their families, if they come out and enjoy the environment around the club for those couple of years it can also help to attract new volunteers, which is important for long-term stability." - Phil Whiting
NORTH BENDIGO
"We've been in favour of a move to under-18s for quite a while now, so we're rapt.
"We think it makes sense that the league has decided to do it for next season given kids have missed out on playing this year.
"Young players want to play with their mates for as long as they can and under-18s is a chance for players to stick together and flow through to senior footy a bit easier like the Bendigo league always has." - Will Hine
WHITE HILLS
"We're very much in support of this decision and we'd like to see it be a permanent fixture beyond next year.
"We've lost kids to other clubs with under-18s in previous years due to them being not quite ready for that step-up to senior and reserves level.
"We certainly appreciate the fact if they are really good footballers they may choose to try themselves at a higher level, but we'd like to be able to keep our kids at our club rather than seeing them disappear each year.
"They've missed a year of football this year, so it's a good thing we'll be able to keep the group together next year." - Tony Gellatly
WHAT THE LEAGUE SAYS:
"We're there as a board to make decisions and that's what we've done on this occasion.
"Some clubs seem to be under the pretense that this will be for ever and a day. It's not, we've made the decision for next year only and it's about player retention.
"The way we were looking we may well have only had six under-17 sides next year and that's not what we want.
"By moving to under-18s for next year what we're giving the clubs is the opportunity to be able to retain players."- Peter Cole, HDFNL chairman
UNDER-17 RECORDS FROM 2010-19
COLBINABBIN
Total wins - 47
Flags - 1
Years in finals - 1
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ELMORE
Total wins - 62
Flags - 0
Years in finals - 4
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HEATHCOTE
Total wins - 70
Flags - 0
Years in finals - 5
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HUNTLY
Total wins - 46
Flags - 0
Years in finals - 2
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LEITCHVILLE-
GUNBOWER
Total wins - 133
Flags - 4
Years in finals - 9
........................................
LBU
Total wins - 112
Flags - 2
Years in finals - 8
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MOUNT PLEASANT
Total wins - 97
Flags - 1
Years in finals - 7
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NORTH BENDIGO
Total wins - 98
Flags - 1
Years in finals - 6
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WHITE HILLS
Total wins - 112
Flags - 1
Years in finals - 8
THE 50 MOST DOMINANT PREMIERSHIP SEASONS ACROSS THE REGION SINCE 1990 - THE LIST SO FAR
No.6 - Strathfieldsaye 2015
No. 7 - Heathcote 2010
No. 8 - South Bendigo 1993
No. 10 & 9 - Golden Square 2010; Strathfieldsaye 2019
No. 12 & 11 - Castlemaine 2000; Strathfieldsaye 2014
No. 14 & 13 - Leitchville-Gunbower 2017; South Bendigo 1991
No. 16 & 15 - Colbinabbin 1999; Mount Pleasant 1995
No. 18 & 17 - YCW 1997; Bridgewater 2015
No. 20 & 19 - Mount Pleasant 1997; Mount Pleasant 1993
No. 22 & 21 - Bridgewater 2010; Bridgewater 2011
No. 24 & 23 - LBU 2011; Colbinabbin 1998
No. 26 & 25 - Gisborne 2003; LBU 2013
No. 28 & 27 - Gisborne 2002; Colbinabbin 1991
No. 30 & 29 - Maryborough 1998; Gisborne 2005
No. 32 & 31 - South Bendigo 1994; Golden Square 2009
No. 34 & 33 - Castlemaine 1992; South Bendigo 1990
No. 36 & 35 - Mitiamo 1999; Sandhurst 2016
No. 38 & 37 - North Bendigo 2019; Leitchville-Gunbower 2018
No. 40 & 39 - Bridgewater 1991; Calivil United 2017
No. 42 & 41 - Heathcote 1992, Sandhurst 2004
No. 44 & 43 - Eaglehawk 2008, Elmore 2007
No. 46 & 45 - Mount Pleasant 1990, Newbridge 2018
No. 48 & 47 - Gisborne 2006, Calivil United 1990
No. 50 & 49 - Calivil United 2003, Eaglehawk 2018
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