What a way to finish a season, with games washed out, a very appropriate finish to a fizzer of a season. The Rovers were punished by GHFA for finishing 4th (yes 4th!) in Div 2 last year by being 'promoted' to Div 1 along with Normo. Not sure why Epping didn't go up too. Whilst we did recruit a handful of quality players, we could not find enough players at short notice to make a full-sized squad, and being in Div 1 we did not have the luxury of playing our older players down in our other 35s teams to fill the gaps, so that punished our other 35s teams too. Now, my appeal goes out for next season, how can we avoid that same situation? Who makes these calls? Why did our club not fight it? We're not a Div 1 team, yes we have some Div 1 players, but as everyone knows, you can't have a Div 1 35s team with only a handful of Div 1 players. Injuries and other commitments (like coaching) do take their toll, and we're another year older. Do we have to nominate for Div 3 next year? A massive credit to the mainstays of the Div 1 team who battled valiantly despite the numerical disadvantage each week. Sure we had some comedy send offs and there was an edge to some of our play (yes I'm sure there's not much love for us out there), but that's what was needed when we were playing 90 minutes every week with no solace from the sideline against some very good teams. A big thanks to all the players who helped us out from 45/1, 45/2, 35/3 and 35/4, as well as the over 40 All Age players who also got us up to the required 11 each week. We even managed to knock over one of the top two in Redbacks in another bus-parking bonanza, and our one Pennant game will no doubt give GHFA fuel to push us back into Div 1, despite it being against a nine-man Kenthurst team before our bye in round 2 secured the 'cottonware'. I've got no gripe with the wash-outs not being replayed, although of course we all want to play as much football as possible, and I'm sure the association and the clubs have a thankless task liaising with the councils, especially when grounds are closed and logistics are tricky. That's a debate for another day. Well done to the Eastwood St Andrews for being premiers, and good luck to Redbacks in their challenge to take out the Grand Final. Hopefully we won't see you next year...

Tex Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What a way to finish a season, with games washed > out, a very appropriate finish to a fizzer of a > season. The Rovers were punished by GHFA for > finishing 4th (yes 4th!) in Div 2 last year by > being 'promoted' to Div 1 along with Normo. Not > sure why Epping didn't go up too. Whilst we did > recruit a handful of quality players, we could not > find enough players at short notice to make a > full-sized squad, and being in Div 1 we did not > have the luxury of playing our older players down > in our other 35s teams to fill the gaps, so that > punished our other 35s teams too. > > Now, my appeal goes out for next season, how can > we avoid that same situation? Who makes these > calls? Why did our club not fight it? We're not a > Div 1 team, yes we have some Div 1 players, but as > everyone knows, you can't have a Div 1 35s team > with only a handful of Div 1 players. Injuries and > other commitments (like coaching) do take their > toll, and we're another year older. Do we have to > nominate for Div 3 next year? > > A massive credit to the mainstays of the Div 1 > team who battled valiantly despite the numerical > disadvantage each week. Sure we had some comedy > send offs and there was an edge to some of our > play (yes I'm sure there's not much love for us > out there), but that's what was needed when we > were playing 90 minutes every week with no solace > from the sideline against some very good teams. A > big thanks to all the players who helped us out > from 45/1, 45/2, 35/3 and 35/4, as well as the > over 40 All Age players who also got us up to the > required 11 each week. We even managed to knock > over one of the top two in Redbacks in another > bus-parking bonanza, and our one Pennant game will > no doubt give GHFA fuel to push us back into Div > 1, despite it being against a nine-man Kenthurst > team before our bye in round 2 secured the > 'cottonware'. > > I've got no gripe with the wash-outs not being > replayed, although of course we all want to play > as much football as possible, and I'm sure the > association and the clubs have a thankless task > liaising with the councils, especially when > grounds are closed and logistics are tricky. > That's a debate for another day. > > Well done to the Eastwood St Andrews for being > premiers, and good luck to Redbacks in their > challenge to take out the Grand Final. Hopefully > we won't see you next year... Tex it's not over yet.... we only have to beat STA by a lazy 4 goals this weekend and we will play Redbacks in the GF. Surely it's a real possibility, NOT. If you fold we'll take Bobby off your hands 100%.

Are you guys in the round robin phase of the finals?

THE ROCK Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Are you guys in the round robin phase of the > finals? Yes Rock. Last of the three round robin games is SAT.

Do they still have the rule if you draw a GF after extra time your awarded the joint championship label!

Mate solution is simple Enforce 8 team Div 1 That would have ensured that yourselves and us would have had a few competitive games and the honour of trying to stay in the top grade We enjoyed our year despite no points It's all a matter of how you approach the situation

In all comps there will be a few dominant teams and teams that will struggle. That's the nature of the comps, but we have also seen that one years result can be very different to the next year. Take Redbacks for example. Last year they lost a heap of players and only won a few games. This year they recruited well and were lucky enough to combine with some quality Hawks players to form a much more competitive team. Agreed 6 teams is not enough, and the GHFA should enforce 8 as a minimum. Apparently All Saints are not playing this weekend. Redbacks through to the GF.

>It's all a matter of how you approach the situation by bringing 2 more carton of bundies rum?

Normo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Mate solution is simple > Enforce 8 team Div 1 > That would have ensured that yourselves and us > would have had a few competitive games and the > honour of trying to stay in the top grade > We enjoyed our year despite no points > It's all a matter of how you approach the > situation Yes, if you are prepared for Div 1, fair enough. We were told that we had a new 35/1 team joining West Ryde Rovers from another comp and our 4th place last season in Div 2 should have suggested that we were a Div 2 team. All of a sudden, the new 35/1 team doesn't eventuate and we find ourselves in Div 1. I think we had eight or nine players registered in Div 1 at the time. Just because we get a couple of Ravens players (not the Granville Rage superstars amongst that team mind you) doesn't mean that we're in any way ready for a season in Div 1 playing against teams with squads of 20. I was not impressed by the way this happened, and it made for a very difficult season for what was effectively a brand new team. On the flip side it was a guaranteed 90 minutes for all players each week if they wanted it, and we're all probably much fitter as a result. And we gave some of our other 35s and 45s plenty of bonus quality football during the year. We're going for Div 2 again next year, and fair enough if we go ok, we'll give Div 1 a crack in the future if we can attract players, but we're not getting any younger, and we can't be expected to grace div 1 without gaining a bit of momentum as a team. There, that's my plea over, hopefully a member of the grading meetings for next year will be reading this.

...and before anyone comments on the fact that we won the Pennant, please be aware that we played a Kenthurst team that started and finished the game with 9, and then had a bye.

We managed to equal you guys on points in the Pennant without kicking a ball ... a bye, a WPH no show and then a wash out.

Quality in Div 2 was down this year. Puzzled as to why you guys went up and Epping + Hunters Hill stayed in Div 2. Would love to know what arguments get put forward for avoiding promotion.

Div 1 - 6 teams
Div 2 - 7 teams
Div 3 - 10 teams

Crazy

Normo's idea of enforcing 8 teams makes sense. Though, I reckon you'll still get shenanigans from teams trying to stay down.

Hey Tex, what was the timing like in regards to this new WRR 35/1's team pulling out?

If it was just prior to the season commencing, then the grading committee may not had a choice - cant really have a 5 team comp (granted 6 is not much better).


Never know, things may change for you next year - Rovers may get an influx of 035s from other clubs, or some of your AA players may want to 'wind down' if they have hit the 35yo mark...

Jerry Hat-Trick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hey Tex, what was the timing like in regards to > this new WRR 35/1's team pulling out? > > If it was just prior to the season commencing, > then the grading committee may not had a choice - > cant really have a 5 team comp (granted 6 is not > much better). > > > Never know, things may change for you next year - > Rovers may get an influx of 035s from other clubs, > or some of your AA players may want to 'wind down' > if they have hit the 35yo mark... That's probably why there was a seven team Div 2.