Corowa-Rutherglen is set to go into recess by the end of the week.
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Roo officials made the bombshell decision at a meeting on Monday night which is set to have huge ramifications for the competition.
A chronic player shortage coupled with the clubrooms being off-limits for at least this season due to the health risks associated with the recent floods have proven to be insurmountable hurdles for the immediate future of the club.
The 'Corowa Cluster' which was identified as a major issue to the sustainability of the neigbouring clubs several years ago was also significant in the Roos' demise.
With the club having one of the smallest population bases in the O&M but facing stiff competition from neighbouring clubs Rutherglen, Wahgunyah and CDHBU to recruit players and help fight dwindling playing numbers.
The ongoing issue always threatened to force one club in the club into recess but most people would have predicted that it would be a district league outfit before the club playing in one of the strongest competitions in country football.
Roo president Graham Hosier declined to comment when contacted by The Border Mail on Monday night.
The Border Mail believes the club wants to inform its members and players of the decision before making an official announcement on Friday.
It's hard to fathom how quickly fortunes have changed at John Foord Oval.
The rebuild under coach Peter German appeared to be gaining serious momentum at the half-way point of last season with the Roos in fifth spot with a 5-4 record.
The resurgent Roos had lost to powerhouses Albury by two points and to Yarrawonga by seven points to highlight their rapid improvement under German.
However a crippling injury toll in the second-half of the season robbed the Roos of any chance of playing finals.
They lost eight of their last nine matches with a one-point win over Wodonga Raiders, the club's sole win in the second-half of the season.
The Roos finished eighth with a 6-12 record and were on the lookout for a replacement for German after his decision to coach Perth in the WAFL.
Although the seniors missed finals, the Roos' thirds and A-grade netball who finished minor premiers both featured in September action.
Despite being flag favourites, the A-grade netball stumbled in the preliminary final against Wangaratta losing 33 to 31.
After finishing fifth, the thirds went on a barnstorming September run to make the grand final against Wangaratta.
Lavington Sports Ground was a sea of blue and white for the thirds decider as 100s of success starved Corowa-Rutherglen supporters made the trek to cheer the young Roos who hadn't won a flag for more than two decades.
An elusive flag looked a distinct possibility with the Roos leading by 15 points at the final change only to be overrun by the Magpies and losing by less than a kick.
The heartbreaking loss proved to be a sign of things to come at John Foord Oval which has so far endured one of the most tumultuous off-seasons in the club's history since the merger of Corowa and Rutherglen 44-years ago.
A fruitless search in the second half of the year to find a suitable replacement for German created plenty of uncertainty with players hesitant to commit to the club without knowing who was coach.
After a series of narrow misses of trying to land a high profile playing coach from the VFL, the Roos were still without a coach at the start of pre-season in November.
Disaster struck in mid November after John Foord Oval was flooded.
Despite frantic attempts by club volunteers to use sandbags to prevent the clubrooms being flooded, the floods caused extensive damage with an estimated $220,000 repair bill.
With no coach, the ground temporarily out of action and the clubrooms damaged, the player exodus which had started before the floods quickly gained momentum.
It is estimated that the Roos lost more than 25 players before Christmas including dual best and fairest winner Cam Wilson who joined rival club Yarrawonga.
The Roos finally announced Steve Owen as coach a week before Christmas who had been at the helm of Rutherglen for the past two years.
But the long overdue appointment proved to be too little too late with the Roos attracting minimal numbers since pre-season recommenced in early January and forcing the club to make the tough decision to go into recess.
In a worrying trend, the Roos are the second club in the region to go into recess after Federal announced late last year that it wouldn't be playing in the Upper Murray league this season.
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