Sport
6 March, 2024
Clubs back SWC future
DESPITE a challenging off-season, with three senior clubs moving to other associations, South West Cricket (SWC) remains confident its future is secure.
The league believes it has ‘weathered the storm pretty well’ with current feedback from member clubs indicating a positive future for cricket in the area.
According to SWC president Luke Heffernan, with the support of all clubs and neighbouring associations, the SWC Executive knows it has to be well-organised and proactive in its efforts to maintain strong and viable competitions in the area between Colac and Warrnambool.
“We have begun a program of considered strategies to impress upon the cricket community that South West Cricket has a big future based around towns and localities in the Corangamite Shire and also in the Moyne Shire,” Mr Heffernan said.
South West Cricket has already met with the area manager of Western Victoria (Renegades) Josh Beaumont and region two/three manager Damon Williamson to discuss ways to build the association.
On behalf of Cricket Victoria, the pair has promised to support SWC in its efforts to retain its identity and build on any initiatives developed by the association.
“We are concerned that requiring players, parents and families to travel to centres like Colac and Warrnambool will see a drop-off in participation at all levels,” Mr Heffernan said.
“As has happened in other parts of the state, after the initial honeymoon period, players in lower divisions and lesser-skilled juniors in particular tend to lose interest and decide not to travel longer distances to participate.
“The local basketball stadium and other recreations suddenly become much more appealing and we don’t want that to happen.”
Corangamite Shire’s Sport and Recreation Manager Jane Hinds attended a South West Cricket executive meeting in December and said the shire would assist wherever it could to keep an important sporting ‘industry’ based in the Corangamite municipality.
Ms Hinds made particular mention during that meeting of cricket projects that had already been initiated or were on the agenda for several south west venues.
This included a second ground at Pomborneit, indoor nets at Cobden (which have been included in the recreation reserve’s master plan), the second ground at Camperdown College, and new nets to be constructed at the Camperdown Lakes ovals.
Mr Heffernan said SWC had some striking evidence of great potential and development in its cricket program that can’t be ignored.
This included increased numbers in Blasters cricket and under 13 cricket, 20 senior teams in three senior grades, junior teams represented at country weeks at Warrnambool, Portland and Horsham and a senior team at Melbourne Country Week.
Two south west junior male teams merged with a Warrnambool association club and several girls from SWC teams played cricket in Colac and Warrnambool (with Pomborneit leading the way).
According to the executive, South West Cricket has also developed a five-year plan after a survey was sent to all clubs.
Feedback from the survey has been converted into a brief paper containing five major goals with relevant actions listed to support those goals.
“Because of the nature of the questions – regarding senior, junior, male and female cricket in the association as well as governance issues – clubs were encouraged to involve a cross-section of members to complete the survey,” Mr Heffernan said.
Last week’s SWC general meeting formally adopted the plan and noted that two of the actions had already occurred.
As stressed in the survey responses, all clubs committed to South West Cricket and agreed that members should engage in behaviours and processes consistent with the collective aims of the association as a whole, not just as individual clubs.
Mr Heffernan said the executive met with Colac association president Steve Millar last week to discuss a plan to keep cricket along the Princes Highway strong and accessible to all people of all ages – not just players at the top level.
A similar meeting is planned with the Warrnambool executive in the coming weeks.
SWC will write to clubs who have left the association recently to assure them that the door remains open for their return, either totally or partially, in future years.
And that discussion is welcome at any time.
South West clubs with teams playing in junior or female competitions elsewhere will also be invited to meet with the executive to see if there is interest in further boosting underage competitions or establishing a viable women’s competition in the local association.
To provide procedures in the association’s rules, a bylaw was proposed that any club looking to move to another association in region two would need to apply for a clearance.
If refused, an appeal process would be available through the region.
This will complement another bylaw already in place which requires the region to approve the move of a club to an association in another region.
“As SWC heads towards finals in all three senior grades, clubs will be kept up-to-date with all steps taken to secure the association’s future,” Mr Heffernan said.
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