A new points system and two new board members were ushered in at the Group 10 annual general meeting at Bathurst on Sunday.
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Long-time Group 10 referee Nathan Blanchard and St Pat’s president Graham Ward were voted on the 2018 board, replacing Nick Lander and Kathy Lang.
While a change to the points system was discussed, with a final proposal to be voted on at the Western Rams AGM on November 22.
The change allows Group 10’s smaller centres, or tier two clubs as the proposal details, like Blayney, Oberon and Cowra, to halve the value of two of their marquee players.
Orange CYMS, Orange Hawks, Bathurst clubs Panthers and St Pat’s, Mudgee and Lithgow – basically, the larger centres in the group, or tier one clubs – can only halve the value of one player.
The cap will remain at 1700 points.
It’s expected the new system, which has tier one and tier two clubs, will also be adopted in Group 11, which will be for the first time in Western’s other major competition.
Returning Group 10 chairman Linore Zamparini – now in his 11th season in charge of the group – says the change to the points system is designed to help smaller towns remain competitive against clubs in centres with big populations.
“Discussed it at a group level and now up to Western division to ratify it,” he said.
The Oberon-based Zamparini added the loss of Lang on the Group 10 board would be a telling one, too.
“In all honest Kathy will be missed. She did a power of work for us over a number of years,” Zamparini said.
Along with Blanchard, Ward and Zamparini, long-time administrator Peter McDonald – now in his 21st year on the group’s committee - is joined by Gary Goldsmith, Wayne Boyd, Graeme Osborne and Adam Hornby on the new board.
Clubs also voted in favour of the proposed Group 10 premiers versus Group 11 premiers clash at the end of next season.
That fixture was proposed by Western following the boundary review that was sparked by Dubbo CYMS’ request to join Group 10 last season.
The host of the first Western ‘Super Bowl’ will be determined by the result of this year’s representative clash between Group 10 and Group 11.
“We’re expecting that representative fixture to still be under 23s as well, but that will be determined at the AGM of CRL on December 8.”
The 2018 Group 10 All Stars clash will also return to Cowra, Zamparini adding the Magpies’ initial battles to form a committee swayed the decision on where to stage the fixture.
“There’s two reasons … but there’s a large indigenous community at Cowra and it just seems like a good fit,” he said.
“Having Cowra confirmed as starters for next season is great. As we’ve told them, if they need a hand with anything we’re happy to help out.”
Zamparini expected a draw to be finalised before Christmas.
Nick McGrath
Editor, Central Western Daily
Editor, Central Western Daily
