East Wagga-Kooringal aren't sitting with their heads in the sand over the club's key area for improvement, putting a heavy focus into juniors.
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The Hawks didn't have an under 17.5s team last season and are facing a battle to field one this year.
But there's work going into remedying the situation, with junior training now at Kooringal's Henwood Park on Wednesday afternoons hoping to attract new players.
"It's a massive focus for the club," EWK senior coach Matt Hard said.
"The way footy is set up, it's all about points and the salary cap so it's important you nurture your own talent and you have kids coming through.
"That's probably an area that we're struggling with but it's an area we're putting a lot of focus into."
Hard was one of a number of respected Riverina football identities to speak last week about protecting the future of the Farrer League.
He and Marrar coach Shane Lenon pointed out that if the under 17.5s competition is the big worry for the competition, that's the priority to be addressed, rather than restructuring two senior competitions.
"That's the big kick in the guts for the Farrer League at the moment but how are we going to entice players to come and play in the Farrer League 17.5s comp when there's four teams playing," Hard said.
"That's got to be where our focus is, 'What do we do to get that comp up?' I think that's where the (Farrer League) improvement will come from."
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The standard and structure of the entry grade into senior football is the big concern that's had Farrer League rivals North Wagga considering a 'premier league' bid.
Lenon has already suggested making the competition's third grade an under 18s competition, an idea that Hard is interested in.
But looking beyond the next year or two, EWK are making juniors their long term priority.
The Hawks held a junior registration day in Kooringal earlier this month and a club membership drive last week.
"East Wagga is saying, how do we be a long term prospect and keep getting better?," Hard said.
"We know that our juniors have to be front and centre of what we're doing.
"But in saying that it's not a quick fix.
"It's not something that happens overnight.
"But we want kids coming out and having a run and playing at our footy club.
"Some kids may or may not be getting a run elsewhere... our focus is getting kids playing again."
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