The Mogo Warriors have been denied entry to Group 16 next season as the club did not satisfy admittance criteria at the group’s general meeting on Wedensday evening.
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The Warriors, who were brimming with excitement in October about the opportunity to field a club at Mogo, could only aim to field a reserve grade side.
The Group required clubs to field three teams including a first grade side, or to enter a portability agreement with another first grade club.
Tathra Sea Eagles was also unsuccessful and similar to Mogo, could only field a reserve grade team.
Tathra and Mogo representatives addressed the committee at the meeting, which all Group 16 clubs attended.
A secret ballot followed and the Group’s decision was handed down.
Group 16 president Dean Lynch praised Mogo and Tathra representatives for their ambition, but said the clubs’ inability to field a first grade team was the big issue.
“The current rule is three teams including first grade and I asked Tathra and Mogo to re-apply next year,” Lynch said.
“The volunteers were prepared to have a go on behalf of their teams and people don’t recognise the hard work that goes into it.”
The lone successful applicant was the Bermagui-Cobargo Eels, who formed a portability partnership with the Eden Tigers.
The volunteers were prepared to have a go on behalf of their teams and people don’t recognise the hard work that goes into it.
- Dean Lynch
The Eels will field a reserve grade team and pair with Eden, similar to Merimbula and Candelo’s partnership in 2015.
“Cobargo grabbed that opportunity and unfortunately Tathra and Mogo were unable to bring that sort of proposal to the table,” Lynch said.
Group 16 committee member John Cornall said the competition was “enhanced” by Cobargo’s return, but hoped to see Tathra and Mogo back with another proposal.
“Ultimately (the group) has to make a decision that is the best thing for the competition,” he said.
It will be an eight-team, 14-week first grade competition and fielding a first grade team also allows clubs to host up to four games in an afternoon (under 18s, women’s league tag, reserve and first grade).
“There will be a full card (of games) on Saturdays and Sundays and we want to make it a real event that people want to come and watch,” Lynch said.
Group 16’s draw should be completed over the next week, but the location of preseason fixtures was finalised at the meeting.
Over the two weekends before Easter, the popular nines tournament, which Batemans Bay won last season, will be played at Narooma and the Indigenous v All Stars will be at Moruya.
The clubs will then take a break for Easter and be set to kick-off the season the following weekend.
Mogo, Cobargo, Eden were unavailable for comment.
