East Wagga-Kooringal coach Matt Hard wants AFL Riverina to freeze its controversial 2023 restructure plans after the recent uproar when it was made clear the history of the Farrer and Riverina Leagues would be swept away at the end of this year.

Even with the upcoming season fast approaching, coaches are speaking up, fearing that turning the Farrer League into a 'community competition' - in name or nature - will send a proud competition into a death spiral.

Hard has won premierships in both leagues, taking the Northern Jets to glory in 2007 and Coolamon to a Riverina League flag in 2013. After a long stint coaching Coolamon, he's in his fifth year at EWK.

"I don't think dismantling the league is in the best interests of footy in the area," Hard said.

"When I say dismantling, I mean changing the name... there's a lot of history there and what happens to that history?

"But the biggest thing in my eyes is that these recommendations and everything was done two years ago but since two years ago, all we've played is 16 games of footy.

"We're making all these changes but a lot has happened in that time... times have changed. I personally think they should put it on hold, let the dust settle (on COVID-affected seasons).

"Let's get two really good, even competitions up and going and work from there... it's not completely broken."

There was no Farrer League in 2020 and a season without finals last year. Hard says the immediate focus should be to support the current format.

"There's some good players attracted to the Farrer League. There'll be some good players running around this year," Hard said.

"Why should the Farrer League be disadvantaged to benefit the Riverina Football League. I don't get it. We're trying to improve football in the Riverina not just the Riverina Football League.

"My fear is if we go down this path, clubs have to aim to go to the Premier League because they don't want to get left behind. And if a club goes up, I think it's going to be a setback for the Farrer League."

Hard stressed he was expressing a personal opinion, as did the rest of the coaches interviewed, not speaking on behalf of clubs.

But they're united in their worry.

Brad Aiken won four Gerald Clear Medals and six Farrer League premierships with Collingullie, before adding to that record in the Riverina League.

He's now co-coach at The Rock-Yerong Creek.

"I just think it takes the opportunity away for blokes to play in a meaningful comp," Aiken said.

"When you line up and you're playing in a 'community comp' it sounds a bit like Kennedy Shield. And we know what happened to the Kennedy Shield (the long-defunct rugby league pub competition).

"You'll lose the quality. One hundred per cent. The top end quality will go and play in the RFL... it will make the RFL stronger, which I think is what they're trying to achieve.

"But what will happen is it will end up killing off the Farrer League."

These are not rusted-on Farrer League fanatics fearing change.

Aiken's co-coach at the 'Pies, Heath Russell, also has Riverina League history as a premiership player with Narrandera, and has been involved in developing youth as a GWS Giants academy coach.

On the frontline of trying to bring players to the Farrer League, he fears for his current club.

"Just from a recruiting perspective, we feel like we've done pretty well to get some pretty handy footballers out of Canberra," Russell says.

"If you're talking to them, asking them to come to the Community League or whatever, I know we'd be fighting to keep those top-enders coming into that comp when there's a comp aligned called 'Premier'.

'Once I heard that, I said we (TRYC) really need to look at this because I can see it killing The Rock, to be honest."

It's not that a name is papering over a bad product. It's concern that one will be created, even if there's a backflip and the traditional name is retained.

"I haven't been around for a long long time in the Farrer League but it's probably the best I've seen it," Russell said.

"The top end teams have recruited well, the bottom teams from last year are doing the same. You're going into the season knowing it's a fairly open comp and feeling like anyone on any day can beat anyone.

"So I don't know why we need to make changes."

It's a view supported by another coach with foundations in the Riverina League, former Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes mentor Travis Cohalan, who's heading into a second season at Charles Sturt University.

"I do (worry). I think it needs to be navigated very carefully and I would hate to see the tradition, appeal and great community aspects of the Farrer League lost," Cohalan said.

There's a widespread understanding that the Riverina League is a quicker, classier competition. But the Farrer League is proud of its own style, own communities, and a competitive league that, in its own right produces brilliant players, many of whom stay (witness the two most recent multiple league medallists, Nick Hull and Mitch Haddrill), while developing others who go on to higher levels.

The fear is that by clearly differentiating between a premier and secondary competition, a proud and ultra-competitive league will be diminished.

To be clear, damaging the Farrer League is not the intention of AFL Riverina. The governing body's job it to take a broad overview, and is trying to be proactive and plan for the future.

It's aim is to offer a more flexible structure that can allow clubs that hit tough times to retain their identities, sustain and rebuild, rather than be forced into recess.

Shane Lenon, whose coaching record shows six Farrer League flags (including two with current club Marrar) as well as three in the Riverina League, believes those aims can be satisfied without damaging a good league.

"The criteria they have for the (new Premier Division), things like Level 2 qualified coaches, women's teams, junior structures, that's probably all a positive for the RFL," Lenon said.

"My concern is the restructure means weakening the criteria for the Farrer League.

"Riverina League clubs will be licking their lips because there's a lot of good players in the Farrer League.

"The salary cap and the points have to be equal. The Farrer League clubs are already up against it when it comes to recruiting against RFL clubs so to make it even more one sided by giving them more points and more money...

"One of the major concerns is the under 17.5s, so we should address that.

"But what they're going to do the competition by bringing these changes in is they're going to make an issue for first grade and second grade that will ruin it.

"It's no good."

Lenon was a key figure in Collingullie's transition from a dominant force in the Farrer League to a heavyweight in the Riverina League.

"There's no Farrer league clubs that are in a position like Collingullie were when they went into the RFL. The Farrer clubs would struggle to compete against the top sides in the RFL right now," Lenon says, pointing out the Demons became the most successful team of the last decade after their move.

"When Collingullie went up, that was a positive for both leagues.

"What we're talking about now is only a positive for one league, and it's to the detriment of the other."

Hard says pushing ahead with the restructure is now 'putting the cart before the horse' when the focus for many clubs is simply getting people back into the old rhythms after two disrupted winters.

He agreed with Lenon that if the under 17.5s competition is the biggest concern in the Farrer League, it's an issue that the AFL, the league and clubs should prioritise addressing, not messing with two attractive senior competitions.

All long involved in football, the coaches said it's not their backyards they're worried about, as much as other clubs and communities that make up a strong and competitive league,and thrive on football.

Hard says the tiered proposal will take away many clubs' ability to prosper and improve and, by forcing some clubs to look at aiming up, what happens to the smaller clubs that aren't or can't aim that high?

Aiken warned that the Farrer League, as well as the Riverina, is attractive in its own right, to spectators but also to players who consistenty travel from Canberra and even Sydney to be a part of it.

"I think the two competitions at the moment, I think the footy is really good to go and watch," Aiken said.

"No one is going to want to go and watch the community level league. It'll end up like watching a game in Canberra or Sydney where they get 50 supporters."