Less travel and state pathways are the reasons behind Corowa’s move out of Wangaratta and District.
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Twenty-nine members voted unanimously on Thursday night to join Cricket Albury-Wodonga.
“The distance travelled for our juniors and better pathways at Cricket New South Wales are behind the decision,” president Mark Tidd said.
“It’s also the structures CAW has in terms of specialised coaching for the area and better access to facilities.”
Corowa met with Wangaratta officials on Monday night and they tried to keep the border club.
“They didn’t want us to leave and they gave us some options about the travel, draw and issues like that.” Tidd said.
“The opportunities for the kids after Country Week, for example, aren’t there in Victoria.
“In the end the positives of going to Albury outweighed the negatives.”
CAW welcomed the move.
“CAW has the option to do what we think is best for cricket and having Corowa come aboard is a benefit for CAW,” chairman Michael Erdeljac said.
Corowa boasts seven teams, including three senior outfits
The teams will enter the district competition for 2017-18, with an eye towards moving into the provincial level.
Corowa finished with the wooden spoon in Wangaratta’s first-grade competition, but claimed the C grade title.
“There’s a reluctance for people to come and join us in the Wangaratta comp,” Tidd said.
“We’ve been told by them that if we were to play in CAW they would come and play for us.
“This area is also a very Albury-centric one.”
Corowa has two under 16 teams.
Corowa’s longest trip for juniors in WDCA was a gruelling 156 kilometres to Mansfield, but that’s now been slashed.
It also has two under 14 outfits, which play in a smaller competition, including Balldale and Chiltern.
There’s the option of forming a western-based conference, under the CAW banner.
“We’ve got some really good kids coming through,” Tidd said.
Corowa recently received a $50,000 grant from Federation Council to upgrade facilities, which support from the Albury-based Cricket NSW.
“In the past it’s been impossible to get funding from Cricket NSW because we’re in a Victorian association and we can’t get anything from Cricket Victoria because we’re a NSW team,” Tidd said.