The Cowra Magpies may be taking on the Lithgow Workies this weekend, but that hasn't stopped the organising committee from getting on the front foot for next year, with an open public forum to be held next Wednesday at the Cowra Services Club.
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President Marc McLeish said the reason for the public meeting, which will canvass topics such as finances, crowd numbers, short and long-term goal setting, opportunities for junior players as well as the club's overall viability and avenues to instill competitiveness, was straightforward.
"The decisions for the club's future should be discussed by the wider League community, not left to the committee of the time," McLeish said, noting that the club wanted as many local supporters and club members as possible to get down to next week's forum.
While the Magpies have been competitive in Group 10's first division over the past two years, with grand final appearance last year followed by this week's forthcoming finals match, McLeish said consideration needed to be given to the sustainability of a venture.
"We need to have some deep discussion about the future of the footy club," he said.
"The expense of running a competitive first division club is getting higher and higher [and] we are looking to focus on how or if we can keep up."
The decisions for the club's future should be discussed by the wider League community, not left to the committee of the time.
- Magpies President Marc McLeish
Part of the costs that McLeish refers to is the cost of outsourcing players, but given the level of competition that Group 10 demands, creates a quandary for a club of Cowra's size, especially when it comes to on-field performance.
"Unfortunately to stay competitive, we need to outsource players and that adds up, but we have learned over a period of time that the crowds don't come to watch a team that is not competitive." he said.
There is also the need, with a growing pool of junior talent, including the likes of Noah Ryan and Bill Statham, who have both performed to a high standard for the under 18s and Western Rams respectively, to ensure that there is a clear pathway for Cowra's juniors towards senior Group 10 footy.
It's something that McLeish has made clear he is passionate about facilitating as part of the Magpies' future plans.
"We have always produced good footballers in Cowra and we want to ensure that they have a pathway for as long as we can," he said.
While the senior men's team will take to the field this weekend, proceedings have wrapped up for the other sides, with the Reserves coming closest to making finals, finishing in sixth place, while the Under 18s and League Tag teams respectively finished seventh and eighth.
Wednesday's meeting, which has been titled "Swooping to the future," has been scheduled for 7pm and will kick off formally at 7.30pm.
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