A mass exodus over the off-season has left the Demons facing a chronic player shortage with only 20 players remaining to field both seniors and reserves.

The Demons held a meeting on Monday night where it was determined that it needed another 20 players in the coming weeks or face the alternative of 12 months on the sidelines.

Vice-president Abe Wooden said the club has set the deadline of March 7 to decide its fate.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat the club's predicament - we are in dire straits in regards to our senior football numbers," Wooden said.

"We are hoping to avoid going into recess but that's the way it's looking at the minute if things don't improve quickly.

"It's just the senior football, our juniors and all grades of netball - we have got plenty of numbers.

"We are financially sound, the treasurer's report at the meeting on Monday night was as good as it has been for more than five years.

"Every aspect of the club is looking good - except for senior players.

"We have got 20 players that are training and committed so far which is well short of what is required to field both seniors and reserves.

"Realistically we need another 15 players just to comfortably field a senior side, let alone reserves.

"But under the Hume league constitution if you don't have a senior side, you don't have a club."

Wooden estimates the club has lost 16-players from the senior side over the off-season.

"Between our Albury and Wagga recruits, 16-players have left," he said.

"That's straight out of the first grade side.

"Some have returned to their home clubs while others cited COVID as a contributing factor to their decision to leave.

"Some blokes want to have a year off and a lot of the locals aren't committed and just take it for granted that the club will be there at the start of the season.

"But we can't rely on blokes just rocking up for round one and playing - we need to know now if they are committed or not so we can make the right decision on the club's immediate future."

Both Benalla and Wahgunyah told The Border Mail recently that they face a similar situation to the Demons.

Wooden cited COVID and a fruitless six-month search for a senior coach as the major contributing factors to the club's predicament.

ALSO IN SPORT

Nathan McPherson will coach the club for a third time after being appointed early last month.

"Before COVID we had plenty of locals playing both seniors and reserves," he said.

"But since COVID a lot of the locals haven't had the same passion to play again.

"We had a coach lined up early in the off-season and he surprised us when he went to another club.

"That threw a big spanner in the works.

"Fortunately Nathan agreed to take the job on again and it was like winning the lotto, signing a coach of that calibre in January.

"All the club is asking for is players to commit and to commit now.

"Everything else at the club is running smoothly.

"History says if a club has a 12-month recess it only makes it harder to come back again."

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