Last season, the three local under-12 squads competed as Green, Red and White respectively, though this will now be reduced to two under-12 teams — one at the Bulldogs and one at the Giants.
League president Darren Skelton said the change largely resulted from a decrease in playing numbers.
“When we first moved to the WDJFL we had about 70 players in under-12s,” Skelton said.
“In the last two years we haven’t had enough players for three teams, and we expect that to be the same this season.”
Despite the change, Skelton expects there to be several benefits for the families and clubs involved at junior level.
“Aligning the under-12s with the Bulldogs and Giants will make it more efficient for parents,” he said.
“And making them a part of these clubs will provide a boost to the clubs from volunteers and club culture.”
One of the biggest challenges the committee now faces is allocating teams ahead of the season, which it is currently amid at under-12 and 14 level.
“One of the original benefits of three teams was we didn’t need to allocate teams at an under-12 level,” Skelton said.
“At this age, kids tend to grow significantly, so we will need to continually review these teams and clubs.
“If we find one of teams is uneven in numbers or in skill, there will be an opportunity to move clubs and even up the teams.
“We want to make the two teams as even as possible.”
Another impending development that will be under review during the next 12 months is the league-wide shift from an under-16 to an under-17 competition.
Skelton said the league would work alongside the Benalla Saints in accommodating both the WDJFL under-17 competition and the Saints’ under-18 team, which competes in the Goulburn Valley League.
“We fully expect players will have a desire play in the GVL with the Saints,” Skelton said.
“But other players maybe don’t have that desire to play major league football. They may be working, studying or just want to play with mates — they’ll be able to have that extra year of football at junior level.
“We’ll need to work with the Saints so that players who want to transition get the opportunity to do so and continue to develop.”
The BDJFL also announced its coaches for the season ahead, with Richard Bull, Bart Berry and Shane Richardson taking on the Bulldogs’ under-17, 14 and 12 teams respectively.
While Bull and Berry return as coaches, Richardson moves into the coaching space from his role as Auskick co-ordinator for the past two years.
At the Giants, Nick DeWinne will step up as the under-17 mentor after helping out in other capacities in recent years, while Peter Woods and Chris Cooney will take charge of the 14s and 12s.
The appointment of Julie Richardson and Tanya Boyle as club co-ordinators for the Bulldogs and Giants respectively is also an exciting coup, Skelton said.
“It’s wonderful that Tanya and Julie put their hands up to do those roles. They are incredibly capable volunteers in the junior leagues,” Skelton said.
The WDJFL season will start on March 28 with a split round, with a draw to be finalised and released soon.
