Northern Jets president Simon Gaynor has launched an impassioned defence of the Farrer League, imploring football powerbrokers to take care of a 'great quality comp' and its clubs in the looming Riverina restructure.
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Cootamundra's application to join the Farrer League next season in a limited capacity - with a reserve grade football team and two netball sides - has ignited discussion about the league's future.
For the Jets, it sparked concern about what might happen when tiered leagues are introduced in 2023.
"Once you've got one side allowed to not have first grade, other smaller clubs might say, 'oh well, we'll just have reserve grade this year," Gaynor said.
"I think it could devalue the comp. We've got a good comp and we've got to keep it to high standards."
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For comparison, Gaynor queried whether the Riverina League would ever entertain the prospect of a club joining only to play reserves.
The Jets fear the Farrer League, or its replacement, could be adversely affected by the tiered model which advocates a platinum league with community league (reserve grade), under the premier league.
"We don't want to be in the premier league. We want to be in a good country comp, like the Farrer League. We want to play all teams with all grades. That's my worry, where's the community comp going to," Gaynor said.
"I don't mind what the name of it is, as long as we've got clubs similar to ours to be able to play against and be competitive. And not miss out on weeks of football because some clubs haven't got a first grade side, or they haven't got juniors or netball.
Gaynor said the Jets fully support other clubs pushing to be in the premier league but wants the importance of the second competition supported.
"We need protection from the AFL against devaluing the comp," he said.
"It is a great quality comp... we've got a lot of quality players, we've got Canberra players coming left, right and centre to play in our league. We get big crowds at our games and players like that.
"We're a very attractive league. I don't know why we're trying to readjust anything when you've got something that's working pretty well."
Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong president Jason Hamblin recently voiced concerns that the second tier league has to be able to be attractive and enticing.
Gaynor doesn't want to see anything lost in the transition.
"I'm all for developing footy. I love developing footy but we've got to make the right choices.," he said.
"We've come so far. I think the comp next year is going to be pretty exciting, with the amount of recruiting going on, the standard should be pretty red-hot. It's going to be an exciting year for the Farrer."
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