A PUSH by top players to join a higher standard league has cast doubt on the Northern District Cricket Association’s future.
The association recently held a meeting to discuss possible scenarios, with a core group of its best players seeking to play in the Swan Hill District Cricket Association.
Multiple arguments were presented at the meeting, with Kerang Cricket Club an outlier in wishing to keep the status quo.
However, it was clear to most, including NDCA president Tim Coote, that change will occur.
“We think changes need to be made,” Coote said.
“We would like to see a combined team from the NDCA go up to the SHDCA – that would create a good pathway for our juniors with the Murray Raiders already in existence, while also keeping an NDCA senior competition.”
A Murray Raiders senior team of the best 11 combined from the four clubs seemed like the most logical choice to field a team capable of competing in the SHDCA A Grade.
This option was voted against by the Murrabit Cricket Club who, after a strong couple of years, wished to keep their own identity.
MCC declined to comment at this stage, but there is a strong possibility the club could go their own way, another option discussed for clubs at the meeting.
“If Murrabit decides to go it alone, we’d still try and get a side together out of the three remaining clubs,” Coote said.
Koondrook and Barham have played as two separate sides in the NDCA the past couple of seasons but were confident of combining and fielding an A Grade and a B or C Grade in another competition if required.
While Murrabit and Koondrook-Barham seem strong enough for whatever scenario eventuates, it is a different story for Kerang.
KCC president Bob Sutterby worried the club’s future was in rival clubs’ hands.
Sutterby said if this was the end of the NDCA, the KCC was doomed.
“Unfortunately, due to our position, I don’t believe Kerang Cricket Club will survive if the NDCA were to split or fold,” he said.
“Whatever happens, we don’t have an identity if the NDCA folds, so there isn’t much incentive for the other clubs to join with us when they can just absorb us.”
Sutterby believed the club could field a side in the SHDCA’s B Grade competition next season if required, but that wouldn’t be a feasible option for the long-term.
“The best thing for us would be if the NDCA hung around for another couple of years, so we could plan a move to the SHDCA and survive it,” he said.
“If we went now, we’d need another five to 10 blokes to fill a team every week.”
SHDCA president Greg Cruickshank said the league was excited at the possibility of new clubs.
“From an SHDCA perspective, we’d welcome the inclusion of all teams from the NDCA,” he said.
“We saw the junior Murray Raiders this year play in the grand finals of both under 16s and 13s, which shows teams from the region would add great strength to our competition.”
While there was still plenty of water to go under the bridge, two things were clear.
An SHDCA A Grade side, whether the Murray Raiders or a standalone club, was required to satisfy the desires of the quality young cricketers in the region who will otherwise leave for greener pastures.
Secondly, while there was hope the NDCA will survive in some form, the current structure was on the clock.
