THE Kerang Swan Hill Rams face a numbers crisis that could see the local AFL Masters club go into recess if more players don’t get on board, particularly for away games.
While numbers were okay for the Rams’ recent Swan Hill game against Murray Crays and strong for the post-interleague night game at Murrabit last month, a continuing decline in participation rates for away games is threatening the club’s viability.
The Rams’ Paul McGowan said difficulty with numbers at senior club level had an impact on the superules side.
The competition is for footballers aged 35 and over but many players who fall in to the lower age range of the superules concept are still playing at club level, McGowan said.
“A lot of older blokes are still playing reserves to help out their clubs, and even seniors in some cases. It makes it pretty hard,” he said.
Travel commitments are a bit of a turnoff at times too, with the Rams facing fortnightly road trips to play teams from elsewhere.
For more about the Rams’ superules woes, see Friday’s edition of The Guardian (July 12, 2015).
