The Roos declared a recess for this year due to a shortage of players and significant flood damage to their clubrooms- a tough decision that has left many fans and supporters wondering about the future of the club.
The meeting with Kyneton officials provided some much-needed hope for the Roos board, with the Bendigo League club sharing their own experiences of going into recess 10 years ago, and the steps they took to successfully emerge from it.
Corowa Rutherglen President Graham Hosier described the meetings as informative with representatives from both clubs discussing a range of topics including player recruitment, financial management, and community engagement.
"We were really grateful for the opportunity to meet with Kyneton Football Club and learn from their experiences,” he told the Free Press.
“We gained valuable insight into how they got back. Their situation wasn’t quite the same as ours, but they provided information about how they were able to come together and rebuild the club.
“It's given us some great ideas for how we can move forward and come out of this recess stronger than before.”
Board member Emma Forrest said the meeting with Kyneton was a humbling experience as they were “very open and honest about their journey”.
“They shared about what worked and didn’t work for them and were very forthcoming with their information. It gave us a really good insight of what we have to work towards,” she said.
New clubrooms?
The club has also been actively seeking support to build a new flood-proof facility at John Foord Oval.
Roos secretary Rowena Black said they have sent a letter to the council seeking support for a brand-new facility that can be used by multiple user groups and the wider community.
“This would mean the old building is knocked down,” she added.
“The club believes that a flood-proof facility is needed avoid future major flooding events.
The club is also seeking to extend the timeframe on the funding they received from the NSW Government for the new female changerooms in 2021.
“We hope to incorporate that building into the new facility rather than as a standalone building,” Ms Black said.
The board stressed that all grants and donations made to the club will be used to fit out the new clubrooms, as insurance only covers the rebuild.
In the meantime, semi-permanent demountable buildings will be installed at John Foord Oval soon, while club also waits for the "all-clear" to access the damaged building so that they can clean it out.
Mr Hosier said not having clubrooms has been a massive challenge for the club.
“To continue running the club without clubrooms or place to meet is very hard,” he said.
“We haven’t got an official meeting place anymore. We are missing that sense of community, so we are open to any ideas about where we can go.
“Our past players have been meeting weekly at the grounds at Thursday night junior’s training, having a barbeque and trying to bring that sense of club and community back.”
John Elmore elected to the board
The club has announced the appointment of past president John Elmore to the board. John’s appointment comes as the club looks to fill a vacancy and he will primarily assist with recruiting.
“The club is thrilled to have John back on board and has told us that he will use his extensive contacts to help coach Steve Owen with recruitment efforts,” Mr Hosier said.
“It’s a great acquisition and we know he is passionate about getting the club back on its feet.”
Meanwhile, senior coach Steve Owen is keeping a close eye on former players, including Finn Osborne who made his senior debut down at Wangaratta Rovers and Tom Forrest who is with the Murray Bushrangers.
The club is also proud of its former players who have made it to the VFL, including Ryan Eyers who recently made his debut for Geelong, Kaelan Bradtke who is playing for Richmond, and Jedd Longmore who is playing for Collingwood.
Community support needed
The board expressed the club's willingness to be transparent about their situation and welcomed any support the community can provide.
“Something Kyneton pointed out was that we really need the community to back us,” Ms Forrest said.
“Whether it’s website assistance or other small jobs around the club- no matter how big or small, we fully encourage it. Everyone brings a different skillset which can add value to our club.
“We are all approachable. Give us a call and we can sit down over coffee and discuss how you can assist us.”
The board is urging the community to share their thoughts about the club’s future through a survey.
“We have a Google form for people to submit their thoughts and ideas to help the club move forward,” Ms Black said.
“We would love to hear feedback from the community to help support our Reset 2024. There is also a paper form available at Gyles Newsagency or Origin Clothing.
“The community's input is valuable, and the club encourages everyone to contribute their suggestions to help the Roos continue to grow and prosper.
“One thing we’d like to stress is that we’ve never been in this situation before, so we are still trying to work out the best way forward.”
Netball and junior football
Mr Hosier acknowledged the significant contribution made by the C Grade, Under 17s and Under 15s netball girls to the club.
“The girls are doing brilliantly. They are really carrying club and we are very proud of them,” he said.
“Their first home game is on May 13, and we would love to see a great home crowd their cheering them on.
“We’d also like to thank the O&M who have done a great job organising games with other clubs. We appreciate their support.
“Our junior footballers are also doing really well. They play their first home game against Yarrawonga this Sunday at the Wahgunyah oval, and we’d encouraged the community to show their support for our youngest Roos.”
