HFL Division 2 (Country)

[ORDoubleBlues]

Has SJ walked

Please.......................

Meadows have certainly improved IMHO in the last month but not enough that they should have beaten us but credit to them as I know when I saw them play Echunga a month ago I was so impressed how everyone to a man had a red hot crack and they were right with Echunga for the first three quarters and any side that has Dawe at CHF has to be respected.

[aceman]

Not only is it a disgrace for the league to allow this to happen, it has obviously developed into a problem that has got out of control. It is an even bigger disgrace that the Torrens Valley Football Club allow this sort of slaying to happen.
What benefit does a side have in defeating a side by such a large amount? Why not let the kids have a run or at least rest some of the gun players.
I can understand the middle to lower sides wanting to smash Callington to gain percentage which they will miss out on if they don’t keep up with the Jones's, unlike TV who don’t exactly need percentage.
Surely the current batch of TV players would want to be tested as players, unless they prefer to be a big fish in a little pond.
HFL will continue to be the laughing stock of SA Country footy if they can't form some sort of equilibrium between the top and bottom sides.

It's A grade football. Torrens Valley shouldn't have to put out anything other than their best side available because their opposition is rubbish. Now obviously Callington are not A Grade standard, but its hardly TV's fault that they are still allowed to play in the A's. So to say the disgrace is on them is uncalled for. As for your comment on the HFL being the laughing stock of SA country footy, I take it you are just refering to the Country Division. If you're talking about the entire league, you just have tall poppy syndrome.

Have said it many times before, the HFL must adopt the promotion/relegation system and put teams like TV & Kersbrook up against clubs in the City division. Then we'll see who is the 'tall poppy". Echunga got away with similar a few years ago but have come back to the pack.
The league are the fools in this argument, they are being led around by a ring in the nose and clubs such as Callington are the whipping boys, the joke's unfortunately not only on clubs like Cally but the league as well.

[Shortman]

Has SJ walked

Please.......................

Meadows have certainly improved IMHO in the last month but not enough that they should have beaten us but credit to them as I know when I saw them play Echunga a month ago I was so impressed how everyone to a man had a red hot crack and they were right with Echunga for the first three quarters and any side that has Dawe at CHF has to be respected.

I felt the same thing when they played us a couple weeks back. They were hard at it and gave a consistant effort, that said they were never going to beat us which begs the question how on earth did they win Saturday ?? Dawe had a very dirty day out against us against some quality defending, for us middle range sides the key to beating them definetly is stopping him.

[Bat Pad]

Have said it many times before, the HFL must adopt the promotion/relegation system and put teams like TV & Kersbrook up against clubs in the City division. Then we'll see who is the 'tall poppy". Echunga got away with similar a few years ago but have come back to the pack.
The league are the fools in this argument, they are being led around by a ring in the nose and clubs such as Callington are the whipping boys, the joke's unfortunately not only on clubs like Cally but the league as well.[/quote]

Echunga also went up for a year. What a waste of time that was, 30 goals floggings. The gap between divisions is too large. And that has been proven time and time again. Can anyone name a time when a Country Div side went up and didn't finish bottom their first year? Or even win a game? Ironbank perhaps, but they were originally a Div 1 side which returned. We dont need a system which yo-yo's clubs. TV and Kersbrook are clearly the best 2 sides to ever play Country Div, but that is because of their coaches. Both may not be around next year, so were would that leave the sides if they were forced up? And Lobey would probably spend next year finishing around 4th or 5th, gain confidence, money and players by winning a few games, their superior popluation would bring more quality juniors than its rivals could compete with and in one or two years they would be back up. Lets not forget Lobey are a league powerhouse who are just having a rough few years, unlike Nairne who were always the whipping boy.

[false]

Have said it many times before, the HFL must adopt the promotion/relegation system and put teams like TV & Kersbrook up against clubs in the City division. Then we'll see who is the 'tall poppy". Echunga got away with similar a few years ago but have come back to the pack.
The league are the fools in this argument, they are being led around by a ring in the nose and clubs such as Callington are the whipping boys, the joke's unfortunately not only on clubs like Cally but the league as well.

Echunga also went up for a year. What a waste of time that was, 30 goals floggings. The gap between divisions is too large. And that has been proven time and time again. Can anyone name a time when a Country Div side went up and didn't finish bottom their first year? Or even win a game? Ironbank perhaps, but they were originally a Div 1 side which returned. We dont need a system which yo-yo's clubs. TV and Kersbrook are clearly the best 2 sides to ever play Country Div, but that is because of their coaches. Both may not be around next year, so were would that leave the sides if they were forced up? And Lobey would probably spend next year finishing around 4th or 5th, gain confidence, money and players by winning a few games, their superior popluation would bring more quality juniors than its rivals could compete with and in one or two years they would be back up. Lets not forget Lobey are a league powerhouse who are just having a rough few years, unlike Nairne who were always the whipping boy.[/quote]

Yeah good call BP. The strength of a club and the validity of a push into Central division would have to be based on much more than just the success of the A grade. Kersbrook and Torrens Valley do have excellent A grade sides but the strength of their other grades, size of the town other issues such as this would need to be considered. Kersbrook not having an under 17's side a couple of years ago would be a worry.

Without trying to blow our own trumpet too much, but a large part of our success as a club is because of the strength across the board; from colts to the seniors. We are fortunate to have the school in our town but it also takes a great family culture to cultivate that, and being at the club longer than most, i can tell you we have.

[Cougar]

Have said it many times before, the HFL must adopt the promotion/relegation system and put teams like TV & Kersbrook up against clubs in the City division. Then we'll see who is the 'tall poppy". Echunga got away with similar a few years ago but have come back to the pack.
The league are the fools in this argument, they are being led around by a ring in the nose and clubs such as Callington are the whipping boys, the joke's unfortunately not only on clubs like Cally but the league as well.

Echunga also went up for a year. What a waste of time that was, 30 goals floggings. The gap between divisions is too large. And that has been proven time and time again. Can anyone name a time when a Country Div side went up and didn't finish bottom their first year? Or even win a game? Ironbank perhaps, but they were originally a Div 1 side which returned. We dont need a system which yo-yo's clubs. TV and Kersbrook are clearly the best 2 sides to ever play Country Div, but that is because of their coaches. Both may not be around next year, so were would that leave the sides if they were forced up? And Lobey would probably spend next year finishing around 4th or 5th, gain confidence, money and players by winning a few games, their superior popluation would bring more quality juniors than its rivals could compete with and in one or two years they would be back up. Lets not forget Lobey are a league powerhouse who are just having a rough few years, unlike Nairne who were always the whipping boy.[/quote]

Fair Call BP. Kersbrook's A grade is currently the strongest it has ever been, and probably ever will be, yet still would not trouble the likes of Hahndorf, Lofty, Uri's and Blackwood on a consistent basis. It doesn't have the finances, population or juniors to compete against the Central Clubs and although they are a current Hills Country powerhouse, they are no certainty to win the flag. Meadows won 4 in a row earlier this decade, but were hardly unbeatable and have now fallen to the bottom of Hills Country. Kersbrook did go into Div 1 in 1991 (after finishing 3rd in 1990 in Div 2) and while the first year the Brookers more than held their own (finishing 7th in a 12 team comp) could not sustain those efforts and fell back into Div 2 in 93. TV are unique in that through their coach they have the finances, and their club does have their juniors up and running. However if one man leaves that club, they would return to where they were before he got there.

[The Sorce]

Have to agree with some statements on here that the gap is different between Country & Central Division. But to say that Torrens Valley would go up and not win a game is a joke, seeing as Echunga beat Bridgewater at the start of the year (when bridgy were treating the game as life and death). I would say the top 3 sides in Country & Bottom 3 sides in Central would be very similar, but thats about as far as its goes. As most country teams do not have the depth for a quality B grade like central division. TV & Kersbrook would most likely beat the bottom 3 sides, and even snare a win over Birdwood & Mt Barker on any given day. But I do agree they would struggle to make finals and to compete accross the board.

[Bat Pad]

Who said TV wouldnt win a game?

[aceman]

Have to agree with some statements on here that the gap is different between Country & Central Division. But to say that Torrens Valley would go up and not win a game is a joke, seeing as Echunga beat Bridgewater at the start of the year (when bridgy were treating the game as life and death). I would say the top 3 sides in Country & Bottom 3 sides in Central would be very similar, but thats about as far as its goes. As most country teams do not have the depth for a quality B grade like central division. TV & Kersbrook would most likely beat the bottom 3 sides, and even snare a win over Birdwood & Mt Barker on any given day. But I do agree they would struggle to make finals and to compete accross the board.

Still appears to me that the HFL are not game to make a "hard' decision on this.
Who are they frightened of upsetting, surely not G Hughes, he does everything his own way anyhow.

[skimmer box]

Do we all know the full story to how a side can move into central?
Firstly they need to have a full quota of teams, that eliminates Kersbrook cos they don't have S/colts.
Secondly the club needs to lodge an application by June 30..did T/V do this?
Why do we blame the HFL for the way the comp is, surely clubs evolve, drop down and try to rebuild it is the way it is.
I wonder if T/V would be competitive in Central in the long term cos the money boys aren't gonna be there forever. Heard a whisper a few have had a gutsful of winning by huge margins even if the pay day is great..still need a challenge to enjoy the game.
It is unfortunate but take Kersbrook and T.V out of Country and you have a great comp where Gums beat Kangy, Kangy beat Nairne etc etc.
How good is Kersbrook going to be in 2009 without the James boys and all the quality footballers who enjoy being under their tuition.

[Bat Pad]

The obvious first decision that will need to be made is that Callington cannot be involved in the A Grade next year, regardless of anything that happens in the off season, or any talk of supposed improvement. In my opinion its time to fold. Sad to see clubs fold yes, but sometimes you just have to accept the way things are.

[Bat Pad]

There will be no teams going up or down next year. The thing people need to realise is that in Country Division this year, a couple of rare occurences have taken place. One, you have not just one side which would have been classed without doubt as the best side ever in the Division, but two. This has happened in the same year as probably the worst A grade side in the history of SA country football taking part. Also, just to make things even worse for Callington, the Meadows side, which will finish second bottom, is probabaly the best side to ever finish second bottom. Lets face it, there used to always be at least 2 or 3 sides which were terrible. (normally Callington, Maccy and Gum before this year), so the bottom side would at least be competitive with one other side perhaps 2. Now you might say that just shows how bad Cally really are, but I think Meadows performances the last few weeks have generally shown that they are a decent side. Apart from the Callington situation, the league is in possibly its best shape ever. There is an easy solution IMO, and that is not to have a go at the HFL, as they may take the step required next year.

[skimmer box]

Cally will be in HFL next year and they are alot stronger financially than some other sides, so they may go on a recruiting mission.
They haven't forfeited this year...Kangys have.

[wrentalkah]

.

[Animus]

Are Kangy any chance to make the finals this year?

how many thorpes are there now?

[Shortman]

Are Kangy any chance to make the finals this year?

how many thorpes are there now?

They are mathematically possible but they are next to no chance at all with games against Kersbrook, Maccy and Torrens Valley to come. To make the 5 they would need to win 2 of those games and thats providing Nairne dont win again. As for the Thorpes, with Trent injured for the year I dont think any of them are playing at Kangy now.

[The Gimp]

There will be no teams going up or down next year. The thing people need to realise is that in Country Division this year, a couple of rare occurences have taken place. One, you have not just one side which would have been classed without doubt as the best side ever in the Division, but two. This has happened in the same year as probably the worst A grade side in the history of SA country football taking part. Also, just to make things even worse for Callington, the Meadows side, which will finish second bottom, is probabaly the best side to ever finish second bottom. Lets face it, there used to always be at least 2 or 3 sides which were terrible. (normally Callington, Maccy and Gum before this year), so the bottom side would at least be competitive with one other side perhaps 2. Now you might say that just shows how bad Cally really are, but I think Meadows performances the last few weeks have generally shown that they are a decent side. Apart from the Callington situation, the league is in possibly its best shape ever. There is an easy solution IMO, and that is not to have a go at the HFL, as they may take the step required next year.

Very good point BP.
The problem with bringing in prom/relegation is that the step up is much bigger than what it is between div's in the SAAFL and clubs need time to be able to set themselves up in div. 1.
I have no doubt that at the moment TV would be competitive in div 1 but are they going up for the right reasons and do they have a plan in place for longevity in case GH does just up and leave like he did at Gum and Lobey?
I think GH/TV have done well in putting that A grade side together but is it sustainable? I wouldn't have thought so.

[The Gimp]

Cally will be in HFL next year and they are alot stronger financially than some other sides, so they may go on a recruiting mission.
They haven't forfeited this year...Kangys have.

The problem with Cally is that for the past 5 or so years, they have not recruited the right players. For many years they kept paying players that rarely trained, weren't worth the money they were being paid and weren't there for the right reasons.

If they're "cashed-up" like you've said, bank it, and in a year or two, spend it on an excellent coach that has a 3-5 year plan to change the culture of the club. Obviously this needs total support from the committee but if I was at Cally, my goal next year would be to only enter a C grade team and start rebuilding your juniors.

[Bat Pad]

C grade for Callington was my initial thought as well. But if they do that, I don't know how the club would make any money as you don't even have C grade home games, they are played on neutral ovals. Thats why I favoured them to fold as Milang were forced to. If they go to C grade I do not see how they would ever have the funds to return to A & B grade footy. But I guess if they can at least break even in the C's every year then I guess it keeps the club alive in some capacity. Perhaps that is their future. I know Lenswood attempted to raise a C grade this year, so maybe the C's could turn into a comp which accomodates small town teams (Mylor, Charleston etc) or pub teams like the cricket lower grades along with the third sides of established clubs.

[the big fella]

next yr ..tv to central comp... the players want to go up.

cally will have no money so..bye bye ..sorry

Kersbrook will lose players who go with brett..

Bring in Sedan/camb and SR and u have it..

a good even comp again...

in my dreams???