FOOTBALL
As the excitement builds toward the 2010 Barossa, Light & Gawler football season its important to consider one few serious issues.
Clearances between BL&G clubs have jumped back into the spotlight. Ex-Nuri forward Justin Trewren applying for a clearance to Freeling.
Trewren played at Torrens Valley last season and is adamant he won’t play with the Tigers in 2010.
However league rules allow Nuriootpa to block his request.
This could force a highly-talented local product to ply his trade in another competition.
There are examples of deals being done to overcome similar disputes.
For example in 2007 former South Gawler ruckman Matt Cragg-Sapsford walked away from West Adelaide looking to join Nuri.
The Lions could have blocked the move but they were able to work out a compromise that allowed the big man to play for Nuriootpa in all games except those against his former club.
Hopefully the Tigers can see fit to allow JT to suit up for the Redlegs, perhaps in a similar scenario.
Trewren is a player who brings excitement to the game and gives a genuine contribution to the club.
On the other side of 30, this is probably JT’s last shot at playing footy at a high level.
Surely the BL&G should stand for giving local talent an opportunity to play at their best in our own competition.
MORE FOOTBALL
It appears the BL&G’s mooted strategic plan suggests we are just a feeder to the AFL.
Mike agrees the league should aim to give kids opportunities to reach the top.
But he believes that should actually be a by-product of getting the process right at a local level.
The strategic plan has had little input from the clubs.
Mike believes it has misses the point... that every club’s goal should always be to provide an opportunity for kids to play the game, in a safe environment, with quality coaching and management.
If that happens the best kids will be noticed and developed at a higher level. The B&LG’s partnership with Central District works fantastically in this area.
Australian Rules is no longer an obvious choice for players or spectators.
An area not mentioned in the ‘plan’ is marketing. We have a product that needs to be promoted, and unfortunately this is left solely to the clubs to attempt.
Tanunda got it right when they started deal to allow members of the club that has the bye to get in to games at Tanunda for free.
There are a lot of people out there who don’t realise what they’re missing by staying home and watching the AFL.
Even the quality of games in our under 17 competition is worth the price of admission.
Perhaps it’s not just the public that need to lift their vision from what the AFL pushes.
NETBALL
The wind up of the Mid Murray Netball Association left many in the region fearing the game would be lost to their community.
Luckily there is hope for netballers from the region.
A new Friday night competition is to be played at the Angaston courts.
It is hastily being put together to ensure opportunities still exist for girls to play the game.
With Sedan/Cambrai joining the Hills football league where netball is only played on Friday nights at Woodside, the long commute loomed as unnattractive for parents and players alike.
BSR football and netball clubs both joined the Independent Football League - which does not have a junior netball competition and left a number of girls with nowhere to go.
Organisers hope to provide these girls and others in the area a place where they can play on a Friday night and still go watch their football clubs play on Saturday.
This opportunity is not planned to detract from the BL&GNetball in anyway.
The competition will be about participation and giving players an opportunity, which they may otherwise miss.
A registration night will be held at Angaston town courts on Friday, March 19 from 6.30pm to 8pm for juniors (under 10 and under 15) as well as seniors (A and B grade).
Any interested in finding out more can contact Heather on 8570 8280.
The emergence of social netball in the Barossa is obviously popular.
The Friday afternoon competition at the Tanunda Rec Centre has seesn strong numbers, and a lot of mums - some who haven’t played netball in years.
The flow on effect from this league is now being felt by the Barossa Saturday netball clubs. Many players have returned to take part in trials at Tanunda, Angaston and Nuriootpa.
HARNESS RACING
The Kapunda Club held a successful race meeting on Sunday.
A crowd of about 600 witnessed eight races with the maximum number of 10 horses in seven of the eight races. The oncourse totalisator and bookmakers held $34,000, a big increase on the corresponding meeting in February last year.
Good money was raised through the food and drink outlets.
The next Kapunda meeting will be held next Sunday, February 28.
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