THE Ovens and Murray has been blindsided by a proposed age group change to the Wangaratta and District Junior Football League to cater for the anticipated demise of an Ovens and King league junior competition.
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The proposal under investigation by AFL North-East Border for more than a year is to introduce under-17s in the WDJFL to replace the present four-team under-19 competition in the O and K.
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O and M chairman David Sinclair is fearful less players will feed into Wangaratta, Wangaratta Rovers and Myrtleford under-18 teams from the Wangaratta junior league which presently operates with under-16s.
But, AFLNEB general manager John O'Donohue said the O and M had nothing to fear.
"If it went to 17s it would pretty much capture the kids who would normally go to the O and K," he said.
"Right now 100 kids are provided with an opportunity to play footy who might not otherwise.
"The kids in Wangaratta who want to play Ovens and Murray footy won't stay in the under-17s because if they are good enough they will go up as they do now.
"Our responsibility is to have an understanding of everything where leagues only concern themselves with themselves.
"When you don't know and don't want to listen, you believe what you want to believe."
Sinclair accepts there are issues with the O and K junior competition viability, but says under-17s in the WDJFL isn't the answer.
"This will negatively impact our clubs aligned with Wang juniors in their ability to bring bottom age under-18 players into their thirds program each year," he said.
"When the OMFNL raises change it is challenged by the AFLNEB to present evidence to support the change, but there doesn't seem to be the same respect shown back by AFLNEB.
"In this case the consultation process with surrounding leagues and clubs is questionable."
Sinclair said the O and M administration had only been officially notified of the proposed changes late this week and the three clubs most affected had not been consulted to date.
"Again, this feeds into our belief that a complete review of junior football needs to conducted across the region to get a better understanding of whether the current structure is best servicing the needs of the community," he said.
"If this comes in each year we will need to come up with 25 new kids for our under-18s," he said.
"To me they are moving the deck chairs on the Titanic.
"They need to do bite the bullet and get rid of one of the WDJFL clubs because they haven't got enough numbers for five teams, but they will if they go to 17s.
"Mansfield, Benalla and Myrtleford don't have a problem with numbers.
"It's not the Wangaratta junior comp. It is the Wangaratta and District junior comp."
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