HFL Division 1 (Central)

[On The Chest]

I have followed this topic right through all the pros and cons. I haven't been involved in Hills football for many years but follow as I have friends still involved.
I have never been able to work out why Hills Central relegation is based on a whole clubs performance whereas Hills Country promotion is only based on A grade results.
After the recent weeks of court proceedings, I would think that the board will have to look at these rules very closely to prevent future court challenges in the coming years.
Pretty simple for the Hills central to change the rule so it applies to minor round games only. The tough decision they need to make is if the Hills Country use the same process as Hills Central re promotion/relegation.
Another decision is whether it is an 11 team comp in 2015. What happens in 2016 and beyond? Will the country comp suffer by being reduced by another club? The rules will need to be decided and with a lot of thought, not just for 2015 but for the years following.
I'd suggest that some on here, rather than taking pot shots at each others, come up with some positive ideas, put them to your delegates so this whole mess will not resurface in the future years.

[batmanbegins]

Time to move on I think, decision has been made and that is that. Echunga deserve a chance to go back to back and they will be a team alot of clubs will like to beat as there not particularly popular due to a certain proportion of their fan base. They will be a hell of a side with guy and Montgomery back, will be good to see Montgomery back playing footy had a horror run with injury and is a high class footballer.
I say we just look forward to next year in what will be a high quality year as each team seems to have improved.

[The Gimp]

Sad day for country footy when rules implemented in good faith by an amateur organisation are able to be challenged by those who can afford to go to court. Sets an interesting precedent for the future.

I see it as a wake-up call to all leagues. Time to put some effort into actually thinking about the rules you are implementing, not just slapping rubbish together.
This is a classic example of poorly thought out rule making.

Just remember, these by-laws were written long before the current HFL board (who are copping all the sh*t for them being poorly written) were ever there. Would be nice if all the people blaming the current board for the by-laws could have told them 5 years ago this would have happened, hindsight is a wonderful thing eh.

They have also instigated a review of them with the view of rewriting them, which seems to have been forgotten.

Actually, I did!! When Birdwood got relegated I raised the "promotion on A's, relegation on club" issue with the current board for about 2-3 years but they didn't care.

[cracka]

Sad day for country footy when rules implemented in good faith by an amateur organisation are able to be challenged by those who can afford to go to court. Sets an interesting precedent for the future.

I see it as a wake-up call to all leagues. Time to put some effort into actually thinking about the rules you are implementing, not just slapping rubbish together.
This is a classic example of poorly thought out rule making.

Just remember, these by-laws were written long before the current HFL board (who are copping all the sh*t for them being poorly written) were ever there. Would be nice if all the people blaming the current board for the by-laws could have told them 5 years ago this would have happened, hindsight is a wonderful thing eh.

They have also instigated a review of them with the view of rewriting them, which seems to have been forgotten.

Actually, I did!! When Birdwood got relegated I raised the "promotion on A's, relegation on club" issue with the current board for about 2-3 years but they didn't care.

I agree, that rule is wrong. Was referring to the by-law Echunga challenged.

[cracka]

I would like to see the points table under the new "Echunga interpretation". Was it really only 2 points between Bridgewater and Torrens Valley? If so i believe this presents another major issue for the HFL. I know there was a lot of discussion on Jnr Mail medal night regarding the round 3 U15s clash between the 2 previously mentioned sides. the 3 names read out for votes were for all TV players and all were well over the under 15 age limit. I believe one of the lads who kicked 5 goals was 18 years old or very close to. The league knew about it as they were all playing on permits to allow TV to form a under 15s side "in the spirit of the game". I'm not sure Bridgewater will be looking at their potential relegation as "in the spirit of the game" if this is the case.

I calculate 5 points

Club Points (Finals Points)
Blackwood 316 (31)
Mount Barker 285 (3)
Uraidla Districts 268 (20)
Hahndorf 215 (16)
Lobethal 212 (10)
Ironbank 211 (3)
Onkaparinga Valley 209 (10)
Echunga 182 (40)
Torrens Valley 159 (5)
Bridgewater-Callington 154 (0)

Thought you said it was only 2 points between TV & Bridgy.

[Dutchy]

always there you should have been in court today to see the HFLdirectors heads and jaws drop to the ground when the judge said ALL COSTS ARE TO TO BE PAID BY HFL, at the AGM THE PRESIDENT SAID I STRONLY SUGGEST WE FIGHT THIS CASE as it will cost about 15k worse case, the president failed to inform the club delegates that if EFC WON they would be up for 50K as is the case today. Sorry you sad sacks, that believe the hfl have done the right thing ,not the case once again you have been led up the garden path with this result the HFL directors have cost the clubs a lot of money.
LETS BRING ON 2015 ALL PLAYERS STAYING PLUS PICKING UP 3 HIGH QUALITY PLAYERS.

So this hasn't cost Echunga a cent? HFL need to cover Echunga's costs also?

[Elmer J Thudpucker]

I would like to see the points table under the new "Echunga interpretation". Was it really only 2 points between Bridgewater and Torrens Valley? If so i believe this presents another major issue for the HFL. I know there was a lot of discussion on Jnr Mail medal night regarding the round 3 U15s clash between the 2 previously mentioned sides. the 3 names read out for votes were for all TV players and all were well over the under 15 age limit. I believe one of the lads who kicked 5 goals was 18 years old or very close to. The league knew about it as they were all playing on permits to allow TV to form a under 15s side "in the spirit of the game". I'm not sure Bridgewater will be looking at their potential relegation as "in the spirit of the game" if this is the case.

I calculate 5 points

Club Points (Finals Points)
Blackwood 316 (31)
Mount Barker 285 (3)
Uraidla Districts 268 (20)
Hahndorf 215 (16)
Lobethal 212 (10)
Ironbank 211 (3)
Onkaparinga Valley 209 (10)
Echunga 182 (40)
Torrens Valley 159 (5)
Bridgewater-Callington 154 (0)

Thought you said it was only 2 points between TV & Bridgy.

LGILs calculations are slightly out - at the end of the minor round Bridgewater were on 154 points and TV were on 151. By virtue of the fact that TV won the B grade elimination final, they jumped to 156 points.

Yes, playing TV in the colts in 2014 was a challenge. They had up to 6 players on permits in the one team (who were playing multiple games on the day), and a number of lads playing who were clearly overage due to the fact that the HFL couldn't verify their age. One of the TV players actually said to his 14 year Bridgy opponent that he was 17 years old. One of the lads in question kicked 5 goals in that game, while another got 3 mail medal votes.

The Raiders raised these issues with the HFL at the time (permits and ages), but little did they know that it would become so relevant at the end of the year.

[Dutchy]

A COUNTRY football team relegated to a lower division after winning this year’s A-grade premiership has “rolled the dice, big time” and won a Supreme Court challenge against the decision.

The Echunga Football Club had feared the Hills Football League’s “absurd” ruling was a threat to its survival, because it could potentially lead to a mass exodus of juniors.

But in the Supreme Court on Monday, Justice Tim Stanley ruled the Demons could not be relegated from the league’s top-flight competition, ending a three month standoff.

After Monday’s ruling, the club threw a party at its oval and almost 100 people gathered to celebrate, including team captain and local Adam Edwards.

“This was about saving our club,’’ he said.

“We believed that if we went down we were going to struggle with our juniors. Almost half the town rocked up to the footy club to celebrate.”

The dispute began on September 20 when the final siren sounded and Echunga won its first top-flight premiership in 108 years.

But the team was demoted on the same day because the league’s points system takes into account results across all grades and the Demons’ B-grade and juniors had struggled.

Echunga did not dispute the system, but rather the wording of a by-law and whether performance during finals should have been taken into account.

A special meeting of Hills clubs upheld the league’s decision.

On Monday, Echunga’s barrister Jonathan Wells, QC, successfully argued the club’s finals results should have been considered before it was relegated, and Justice Stanley ruled the Demons were to be returned to the top-tier Hills Central division.

“We are absolutely delighted with the ruling because it gives us some clarity,’’ Echunga vice president Steve Millington said outside court.

“We rolled the dice big time with this. If the finding was unfavourable, then our fate as a football club was not assured. We felt we had no choice but to take this action because it would have been disastrous for our junior program, and we had a genuine resolve that we were right …

“It’s ridiculous that we actually got to this stage, quite frankly.”

The HFL has been ordered to pay Echunga’s costs and faces a legal bill understood to be around $60,000.

League president Glen Sickerdick said he was “disappointed” with the ruling but would accept it.

“It’s disappointing that it had to come to this — it’s country football and who in their right mind would have thought it would end up in (the Supreme Court),’’ he said.

“The finding has been handed down by Justice Stanley and we will abide by that.”

The league may now consider an 11-team top-tier competition in 2015.

[running defender]

I'm sorry boys but the current HFL directors held a workshop 2010 about the by_ law and forgot to implement the wording of the by_law properly so they have got a little bit to do with it in a 60k bill. And cracka 4 weeks from the season starting we were required to present all names and dates of birth to HFL house who else had to do that, no other club. Lovely piece into days paper this is the best publicity for a rags to riches story. The Hfl say they are disappointed with the ruling, I remind them 3 months ago we started the process of trying to work this out, letters to Hfl, Cfl a special general meeting but to no avail, the president says who would have thought it would end up the supreme court, well i sugest Your inept decision making has cost Your reputation And the boards a whole lot more than money. A 11 team has now been mooted well hello $$

[cracka]

I'm sorry boys but the current HFL directors held a workshop 2010 about the by_ law and forgot to implement the wording of the by_law properly so they have got a little bit to do with it in a 60k bill. And cracka 4 weeks from the season starting we were required to present all names and dates of birth to HFL house who else had to do that, no other club. Lovely piece into days paper this is the best publicity for a rags to riches story. The Hfl say they are disappointed with the ruling, I remind them 3 months ago we started the process of trying to work this out, letters to Hfl, Cfl a special general meeting but to no avail, the president says who would have thought it would end up the supreme court, well i sugest Your inept decision making has cost Your reputation And the boards a whole lot more than money. A 11 team has now been mooted well hello $$

It was at the December AGM that this happened.

[cracka]

I'm sorry boys but the current HFL directors held a workshop 2010 about the by_ law and forgot to implement the wording of the by_law properly so they have got a little bit to do with it in a 60k bill. And cracka 4 weeks from the season starting we were required to present all names and dates of birth to HFL house who else had to do that, no other club. Lovely piece into days paper this is the best publicity for a rags to riches story. The Hfl say they are disappointed with the ruling, I remind them 3 months ago we started the process of trying to work this out, letters to Hfl, Cfl a special general meeting but to no avail, the president says who would have thought it would end up the supreme court, well i sugest Your inept decision making has cost Your reputation And the boards a whole lot more than money. A 11 team has now been mooted well hello $$

It was at the December AGM that this happened.

Have just realised I'm wrong about this. It was actually at the SGM held immediately before the December AGM that the Echunga president said he handed the list of names to the board & told everyone in attendance (me included) that Echunga had done their recruiting & were ready for central div in 2014. a vote was then taken & Echunga were accepted into the Central div.

Running defender, you seem well informed so I'm guessing you're on Echungas committee & should know that is when it happened.

[running defender]

Yes were accepted but the board sent a letter to us saying sorry we can't accept your promotion because we don't think you have enough junior players and that was after new year at another special meeting when the pres said you'll be all right then stood up for 20min speaking against us telling all the clubs why we Shouldn't go to central and mt lofty should stay Another total lack of leadership

[cracka]

Yes were accepted but the board sent a letter to us saying sorry we can't accept your promotion because we don't think you have enough junior players and that was after new year at another special meeting when the pres said you'll be all right then stood up for 20min speaking against us telling all the clubs why we Shouldn't go to central and mt lofty should stay Another total lack of leadership

As far as I'm aware, the 2nd SGM (adjourned from the week before) WAS the one immediately before the December AGM where the junior numbers were presented to the board & all in attendance, where your pres put your case forward & the HFL pres (he actually remained seated) & someone from Lofty spoke against you. The vote was done & you were admitted then, in December. If there was a 3rd SGM after xmas that I'm not aware of, or the HFL sent something to Echunga after that saying they don't accept the vote, then I will apologise. Again as far as I'm aware, there were no SGM's after December. Can anyone else confirm any of this.

[has been]

Running defender you are so totally off the mark its a joke. Your arrogance is typical wanna be club fluked a flag and now has no idea how to be humble. Why in your little tirade above did you not mention the very things that make your club great like your very personable goal umpire who abuses and threatens to kill kids and then in an under 15 game did the same thing. Your coach is another matter....................... Why has your president slid into the back ground and your VP wankington or whatever his name is speaks up. Is that because the pres like many of your club members dont agree with what your club has done and want nothing to do with it. Interesting. Hopefully you make it to the south east for xmas and santa gives you a suitcase full of humbleness to maybe shrink that massive ego you seem to have. Remember one thing sambo - the kalma bus will pull up outside echunga one day and it will be sooner rather rather than later.

[Legs Man]

Running defender you are so totally off the mark its a joke. Your arrogance is typical wanna be club fluked a flag and now has no idea how to be humble. Why in your little tirade above did you not mention the very things that make your club great like your very personable goal umpire who abuses and threatens to kill kids and then in an under 15 game did the same thing. Your coach is another matter....................... Why has your president slid into the back ground and your VP wankington or whatever his name is speaks up. Is that because the pres like many of your club members dont agree with what your club has done and want nothing to do with it. Interesting. Hopefully you make it to the south east for xmas and santa gives you a suitcase full of humbleness to maybe shrink that massive ego you seem to have. Remember one thing sambo - the kalma bus will pull up outside echunga one day and it will be sooner rather rather than later.

Mellington is the VP's name - but you obviously weren't able to derive this from the article posted by Dutchy?

Fully understand the humility call - but with comments like yours hasbeen ( both now and previously ) I also understand the bitterness towards you.

It is unfortunate when people show an inability to argue logically and sensibly - requiring personal attacks to bolster their appearance.

I actually would of thought that coming from such a strong club as Mt Barker with all your capacity to draw players at all levels from such a large population base you would show some humility too.

My recommendation would be to follow Echunga's lead and maybe win a GF - which you should be doing year in year out.

You could also follow Echunga's lead with getting your disgracefully substandard facilities and oval up to scratch.

[rock]

Running defender you are so totally off the mark its a joke. Your arrogance is typical wanna be club fluked a flag and now has no idea how to be humble. Why in your little tirade above did you not mention the very things that make your club great like your very personable goal umpire who abuses and threatens to kill kids and then in an under 15 game did the same thing. Your coach is another matter....................... Why has your president slid into the back ground and your VP wankington or whatever his name is speaks up. Is that because the pres like many of your club members dont agree with what your club has done and want nothing to do with it. Interesting. Hopefully you make it to the south east for xmas and santa gives you a suitcase full of humbleness to maybe shrink that massive ego you seem to have. Remember one thing sambo - the kalma bus will pull up outside echunga one day and it will be sooner rather rather than later.

Mellington is the VP's name - but you obviously weren't able to derive this from the article posted by Dutchy?

Fully understand the humility call - but with comments like yours hasbeen ( both now and previously ) I also understand the bitterness towards you.

It is unfortunate when people show an inability to argue logically and sensibly - requiring personal attacks to bolster their appearance.

I actually would of thought that coming from such a strong club as Mt Barker with all your capacity to draw players at all levels from such a large population base you would show some humility too.

My recommendation would be to follow Echunga's lead and maybe win a GF - which you should be doing year in year out.

You could also follow Echunga's lead with getting your disgracefully substandard facilities and oval up to scratch.

Maybe Echunga should concentrate on getting quality people to their club instead of prison bound crooks. Your over inflated egos will be crushed rather quickly. You are now the most hated club in the HFL... well done. Your Steven Bradbury premiership will be a distant memory before you know it. And at what cost! One bloke in Yatala, a heap of mercenaries and a bad culture to suit. Congratulations Echunga. TOOLS OF THE DECADE.

[R. White]

Rock and hasbeen you are both being prett foolish. There are no mercenaries at Echunga, they recruit quality players and they stick around because of the culture. Similar to uradlia I would think. All of the players there have a tie or contact to the club in some way and I don't think they will be going anywhere so you may want to shut your pie holes because I seem to remember similar predictions from you last year and I am fairly sure you were wrong!

[rock]

Rock and hasbeen you are both being prett foolish. There are no mercenaries at Echunga, they recruit quality players and they stick around because of the culture. Similar to uradlia I would think. All of the players there have a tie or contact to the club in some way and I don't think they will be going anywhere so you may want to shut your pie holes because I seem to remember similar predictions from you last year and I am fairly sure you were wrong!

Always defending the players but that crook never gets mentioned does he. How many of those players (recruits) are or will be 150 game club men. We will see I guess. I know of at least 3 of these so called quality players have been talking to other clubs in different leagues. The culture must be great when your B grade doesn't win a game, your juniors put together a handful of wins and you purchase an A grade flag via tax payers money. Yep well done, your looking great.

[Legs Man]

Running defender you are so totally off the mark its a joke. Your arrogance is typical wanna be club fluked a flag and now has no idea how to be humble. Why in your little tirade above did you not mention the very things that make your club great like your very personable goal umpire who abuses and threatens to kill kids and then in an under 15 game did the same thing. Your coach is another matter....................... Why has your president slid into the back ground and your VP wankington or whatever his name is speaks up. Is that because the pres like many of your club members dont agree with what your club has done and want nothing to do with it. Interesting. Hopefully you make it to the south east for xmas and santa gives you a suitcase full of humbleness to maybe shrink that massive ego you seem to have. Remember one thing sambo - the kalma bus will pull up outside echunga one day and it will be sooner rather rather than later.

Mellington is the VP's name - but you obviously weren't able to derive this from the article posted by Dutchy?

Fully understand the humility call - but with comments like yours hasbeen ( both now and previously ) I also understand the bitterness towards you.

It is unfortunate when people show an inability to argue logically and sensibly - requiring personal attacks to bolster their appearance.

I actually would of thought that coming from such a strong club as Mt Barker with all your capacity to draw players at all levels from such a large population base you would show some humility too.

My recommendation would be to follow Echunga's lead and maybe win a GF - which you should be doing year in year out.

You could also follow Echunga's lead with getting your disgracefully substandard facilities and oval up to scratch.

Maybe Echunga should concentrate on getting quality people to their club instead of prison bound crooks. Your over inflated egos will be crushed rather quickly. You are now the most hated club in the HFL... well done. Your Steven Bradbury premiership will be a distant memory before you know it. And at what cost! One bloke in Yatala, a heap of mercenaries and a bad culture to suit. Congratulations Echunga. TOOLS OF THE DECADE.

Another quality comment by such a well informed individual.

Your club - which you haven't even got the intestinal fortitude to name in your signature - is surely proud to have you representing them.

I understand that my comments surrounding the HFL aren't to everyone's taste - but fortunately I haven't lowered myself to making personal attacks.

This whole situation could have been avoided had the decision been made to resolve this amicably as Echunga tried to do.

We want our juniors to survive and the right to defend the title - that is it!

The clubs decided that a 10 team comp was all they would accept and defended this vehemently now meaning that Bridgewater have to suffer because of the HFL decisions relating to TV and providing them more opportunity than their competitors.

Or will this all now change to suit the situation - meaning the 11 team comp becomes reality ?

If it does - then why couldn't they do this originally and avoid all the angst?

The HFL decision making this year reeked of bias with the special treatment TV received and the way they allocated finals.

Playing favourites has to stop and the competition must move forward in an unbiased manner.

Surely this won't occur while the current administrators are allowed to retain their positions - so dissolving the HFL governing body is the only option allowing for a fresh approach.

Hopefully all clubs can see this and put personal agendas aside for the betterment of our competition.

[Legs Man]

Rock and hasbeen you are both being prett foolish. There are no mercenaries at Echunga, they recruit quality players and they stick around because of the culture. Similar to uradlia I would think. All of the players there have a tie or contact to the club in some way and I don't think they will be going anywhere so you may want to shut your pie holes because I seem to remember similar predictions from you last year and I am fairly sure you were wrong!

Always defending the players but that crook never gets mentioned does he. How many of those players (recruits) are or will be 150 game club men. We will see I guess. I know of at least 3 of these so called quality players have been talking to other clubs in different leagues. The culture must be great when your B grade doesn't win a game, your juniors put together a handful of wins and you purchase an A grade flag via tax payers money. Yep well done, your looking great.

Crawl back under your signature

Hope you have some facts to back up your statements .

And by the way - we are all taxpayers in the true sense of it - so yes taxpayers money did assist as our sponsors and donors All PAY TAX!

Try and think before you write - do your homework - don't believe hearsay and get your facts correct before posting.

You do realise not having your facts right can really make you look stupid.