INJURIES and player management concerns have taken their toll on Swan Hill’s colts side.
The Swans were last night locked in talks with the Central Murray Football Netball League in a bid to prevent the club’s thirds side from folding for the rest of the season.
Swan Hill forfeited its colts game to Lake Boga on Saturday, with a very real possibility that the rest of the season will be a right off for the Swans’ thirds.
After starting the year with 14 players, Swan Hill has been hit by three longer term injuries, with at least one other junior pulling the plug altogether.
Four of the 14 were identified by the Swans as players capable of playing seniors, with the club reluctant to ask them to play two games a week.
When those four are selected to play seniors, therefore, it leaves the Swans with about six to choose from for their Under 18s outfit.
Swan Hill junior president Brendan Angus said the club was hopeful of getting back some players in that age group who had left for other clubs.
“We need to look after these kids… Three of our kids are bottom-age, four kids are injured. [Numbers are] dropping away,” he said.
“We’re trying to work through the issues for the leagues to find out what the future is going to be.”
Angus said the problem was not limited to the Swans’ Under 18s, nor was it limited to just Swan Hill.
He said numbers were being stretched across the region.
“There are too many age groups if you go and have a look at the number of teams [the district] is feeding,” Angus said.
The Swans’ Under 16s will play Tyntynder this week, before a league bye, a club bye and a forfeit to Tooleybuc Manangatang.
After Saturday they won’t play again until June 13 against the Mallee Eagles.
