By Tallon Smith

Another proud club has joined the growing list of bush footy clubs in recess for the 2023 season, with the Orara Valley Axemen announcing their withdrawal from Group 2 on Wednesday morning. 

The club, who rode their luck all the way to the Grand Final in 2022 under by former South Sydney Premiership winner Sam Burgess, confirmed to Battlers For Bush Footy that they are going into a 12-month recess period, after the Murdoch Press incorrectly reported the club had folded on Wednesday. In doing so, the Axemen have essentially switched places with local rivals Bellingen-Dorrigo who suffered the same fate last year.

Orara Valley President Peter Spinks said the greatest factor in the decision was the “lack of available players.”

“On the back of that really successful year last year, we probably retained 10 blokes out of that Grand Final side,” he explained. “We’ve had players move away, we just haven’t been able to find players to come into the area to fill their spots.”

Spinks also explained that the biggest issue for Group 2 going forward is the lack of under 18 players in the area.

“I’m unsure how big the under 18 competition’s going to be this year in Group 2.”

Spinks explained that the geographical proximity of Group 2 clubs compared to many other more spread out leagues, as well as a shift in the local population, were major factors in the player shortage.

“There’s three or four clubs drawing from the same geographical pool,” he said, referring to the Coffs Harbour, Sawtell and Woolgoolga clubs, all in the vicinity of Orara Valley and each other. 

“The demographic of Coffs Harbour has obviously changed over the years.”

He said that the New South Wales rugby league player points system aimed to “try and stop movement around clubs.”

In speaking to Spinks, it also became clear that a small but increasing threat to the game’s future in the region is the ever-growing AFL.

“I’ve watched the AFL, [it] has always had a presence here,” he said. “It’s mainly people who have moved here and played the game since they were a kid.”

While he said that the code is not a major competitor on face value at the moment, the game was starting to gain a foothold.

“There would certainly be an element that would detract from rugby league,” he said.

The club president told Battlers For Bush Footy that it was “awesome” to have Burgess at the helm last season, with the club’s attendance growing with fans eager to see the ex-NRL superstar in his first coaching gig. 

“[The Questions were], big NRL star, what’s he gonna be like? He was dead set awesome,” Spinks proclaimed.

In fact, Group 2 was graced by more than one superstar last season, with another 2014 Premiership winning Rabbitoh in Greg Inglis playing a handful of games for Macksville.  

“It was an amazing season…though it’s no consolation now,” he said.

The now 8 team Tooheys New Group 2 Premiership will kick off on April 22.