COROWA-Rutherglen will take control of its own destiny by exploring a future away from the Ovens and Murray Football-Netball League.
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The Roos have lost patience with the O and M and AFL North-East Border in coming up with a solution and in coming weeks will investigate a move to the Murray or Tallangatta and District leagues.
Club board member Rod Lane said the O and M had become "elitist" and the Roos wanted to play in a more community-based competition with more football and netball grades to halt the drain of players to surrounding leagues where those structures already existed.
The Roos' seemingly inevitable departure would leave the O and M short of viable options to maintain a 10-team competition which was highlighted in the Dillon Report released in recent days.
"For the last five to seven years we've been butting our heads against a brick wall with the same people and getting nowhere," Lane said.
"We're now going to help ourselves.
"We know the Ovens and Murray is unhealthy and no one is attending games.
"We don't see it is as a great long-term functioning competition the way it is for young families.
"It's become a very elitist competition."
The Roos have been lobbying the O and M and AFL North-East Border for a second grade of junior football to mirror the neighbouring Tallangatta and District and Hume leagues.
The Murray league also has four grades of football and would enable the Roos to retain a presence in a major league.
Lane conceded the club was having a battle to field a reserves team this season despite the best efforts of coach Robert Black.
Forfeiting matches against top teams later in the season could be an option, but Lane said under no circumstances would under 18 players double up in the reserves on a regular basis.
"My personal preference simply is for everyone in the town to support the club and at the minute it is not happening," he said.
"The club had to take a different direction before when the club merged and we've got to take a different direction now."
Corowa and Rutherglen merged in 1979, but a secondary team was established at the time with Rutherglen now playing in the TDFL.
