Cootamundra request recess from first grade duties ahead of 2024 season

The club put the request to the Association after struggling to compete in the Pascoe Cup in recent years.

The Strikers have not won a game since June 2022, with incoming head coach Andrew Parkinson saying a drop in grade will allow the club to rebuild over the coming years.

"We've got no illusions, we have to do it," Parkinson said.

"We've struggled with numbers and obviously people have only got to look back through results to see we've struggled with that as well.

"For the club to move forward, I really think we have to [stop playing first grade], we've asked the question and hopefully the other clubs come to the party.

"For Strikers to continue we need to drop to reserve grade and third grade, rather than the younger kids coming through and getting their butts handed to them week in and week out.

"They keep turning up, they're there, they love the game, but if we don't start being competitive, I think they're going to walk away and we're going to have no club and that's not what we want and I'm pretty sure it's not what Football Wagga want."

Parkinson said allowing the club to drop to reserve grade for the upcoming season will benefit all involved.

The first grade competition would become stronger overall and the club will have time to rebuild to become a force in future seasons.

Parkinson said the request does not come lightly and is not the result of one bad season.

He said the club understands the ebbs and flows of competition but feels that they cannot compete at a high enough level currently to justify their first grade position.

"It's all for the future, we haven't asked the question just because we're sick and tired of going down on a Sunday and going 'here we go, we're being beat again, what do we do', as supporters and ex-players, we're still going to be there," Parkinson said.

"But we can see the players are disheartened by it.

"Mick Godbier instilled when he started coaching again that he wanted to rebuild, and we're slowly getting more competitive, but I think if we have one or two years out of first grade, it's going to help us as a club and it's going to help Football Wagga."

Parkinson said the club hopes that Football Wagga will consider previous seasons where sides have dropped from the first grade competition when deciding if the request will be approved or not.

Henwood Park were the latest club to not play first grade, after they were unable to gather enough top grade players for the 2023 season.

Grateful for the work departing coach Godbier has put into the side, Parkinson said he hopes to grow on the foundations he has laid.