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THE Campbells Creek Football-Netball Club has gone into recess for the second time in less than 15 years.
A devastated Campbells Creek committee confirmed on Sunday afternoon following a meeting earlier in the day that it was withdrawing all teams from the 2021 Maryborough-Castlemaine District league season.
Sunday's decision follows an extraordinary general meeting held on March 1, followed by a further open meeting on March 23 as the club desperately fought to build its player numbers.
However, with just 31 registered footballers less than three weeks out from its first game of the season, the decision was made to go into recess for this year.
Such was the shortage of numbers the Creekers had committed for the season, they would have only fielded senior and under-11.5 football teams to go with under-13, 15, 17, C and B Grade netball sides.
"The club executive and fellow committee members have held numerous meetings within the club and have met with representatives from the MCDFNL over the past few weeks," Campbells Creek said in a statement.
"Our AGM was held on November 26, 2020, and our club realised there were looming human resource issues that would need to be met in going forward after a COVID year.
"The decrease in player numbers, no trainers and minimal sponsorship were of great concern.
"Committee roles were filled at the AGM and senior coach Brent Bogaski was appointed on January 5 and senior netball coach Darren Baker on January 12.
"The executive kept pushing on and working towards filling other key positions.
"On Januray 7 and again on January 30, with player numbers well short of a sustainable list, calls for players and the need for registrations were issued again.
"Still targets weren't being met and an extraordinary general meeting was called on March 1, followed with an open meeting on March 23.
"Unfortunately, the required goals to be sustainable and viable were unable to be met and the executive decided a motion would need to be put forward to the committee and a vote taken to determine the imminent future of the CCFNC.
"This vote was postponed from March 25 until March 28 in one last ditch attempt to be able to participate in 2021.
"To all our players who were committed and now find themselves without our club for this season, we are truly sorry.
To all our players who were committed and now find themselves without our club for this season, we are truly sorry
"The club's focus now turns to next season with a successful re-boot in 2022 and that starts now."
Campbells Creek has a 157-year history dating back to its formation in 1864 and is the junior club of AFL superstar Dustin Martin.
The Creekers are also in the Guinness Book of Records for the historic day in 1990 when they kicked 100 goals against Primrose.
The club previously went into recess for a season in 2007, before returning in 2008 and later played in back-to-back senior finals series in 2014-15.
The club won its last senior premiership in 1953.
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