In the wake of another big day of combined junior and senior football and netball at Ganmain last Sunday – their last ‘same-day’ fixture of the year – the Lions say the switch has been even better than they could’ve hoped. 

“The move’s been great. It’s made us realise that what we've done has been the right decision,” GGGM junior president, Scott Hamblin, said.

“The feeling around the club is awesome, especially with the way the senior team is going. They’re successful and our juniors have got good numbers. The best numbers we’ve had in a while.”

The club has Auskick programs as well as under 10s, 11s, 13s and 15s football teams and teams in all grades of junior netball except for under 14s.

“It’s a huge amount of extra games and the feedback is really positive,” Hamblin said. “It was hard to leave the South West. It’s such a great league and we’ve got a lot of great friends there.

“But to go to Wagga where a lot of our players are from and be able to give their children a chance to play at the same club – that’s why we moved.

“It’s been a step forward for us and it secures our future in an uncertain future for football clubs.”

The Lions say their ‘same day’ fixtures of juniors and seniors have been a big hit and well-received by opposing clubs.

“We’ve had great feedback from clubs like Mangoplah (Eastlakes) and Turvey Park,” Hamblin said, adding that they are hoping for more of the same next season.

“Oh definitely. And it doesn’t have to be the same parent club. As long as you can have your juniors and seniors in the same place on the same day, you’ll get the same affect on game day.”

GGGM senior president Jason Linsell echoes Hamblins thoughts, citing big days for the canteen as evidence families are sticking around, and a better connection between juniors and seniors as the big pay-off. 

“It’s been fantastic,” Linsell said. “There’s that many more kids and netballers here, there’s more coming through the gate and there’s a better chance of keeping more around to watch the first grade.

“A couple of our senior players have got a bit of a cult following amongst the juniors… if they play on the same day, there’s more chance they can see them play. And the feedback there has been really good.

“We’d love to see it all on the same day. We’re a bit envious of the Hume League and the way they can do it. I know it’s a bit harder with a lack of grounds (for some clubs). 

“But it would be fantastic if it could be like that. But that might be a bit of a pipe dream, I don’t know.”

Hamblin says that connection is a two-way street.

“The senior footballers are coming over and watching the juniors play,” he said. “The kids get the excitement of having the senior club there watching. And the senior club gets the excitement of the kids then staying around to watch their games. It’s both ways.”

The Lions aren’t as enthusiastic about hosting a couple of their junior rounds at CSU’s Peter Hastie Oval.

“It’s a bit disjointed, with the netball on one side of the uni and the football at another,” Hamblin said. 

“It’s not the product we want to be putting out, when it comes to the appearance of your club, having it all separate. Looking to the future, if the school goes in and facilities are developed, there’s a possibility it will work but (at the moment) it’s definitely going away from what we like.”