By Tallon Smith

The Cootamundra Bulldogs have begun the long process to sustainably return to Group 9 football by entering an Under 16s side into the Sullivan Cup competition for the 2023 season.

The move, which dips the club’s toe back into Group 9 waters, allows the senior men’s and ladies league tag sides to remain in the George Tooke Shield competition (Canberra Region Division 2), whilst also exposing the club’s youth to one of the strongest competitions in the state in their bid to return the entire club to the competition. Unlike every other area in the state, in the Riverina Division (Groups 9 and 20), Under 16 competitions are run as a part of the Senior League rather than with juniors.

A foundation club of Group 9, Cootamundra won nine titles in the competition, tied second with Temora and only behind powerhouse club the Wagga Kangaroos before a lack of players and a decline in the club’s fortunes prompted a move to the George Tooke Shield in 2020. This competition features a single men’s grade, which relieved the pressure that Group 9 formerly had associated with its expectations that clubs fill both First and Reserve Grade sides.

Cootamundra Bulldogs President Stephen Howse said it was “exciting to be back in Group 9” after three seasons on the outer.

“Well its exciting really…it’s a vote of confidence for the players from the club,” he said of the Under 16s.

“We tried Canberra Under 17s and 19s but it was a really high standard.”

“It [the move back to Group 9] was pretty much brought to me by the parents and the players.”

Although the club never wanted to leave Group 9 in the first place, Howse stated that the club had “three options” when the crisis occurred.

“We had three options: stay in Wagga and get flogged each week, go to George Tooke, or fold,” he said.

“I never really considered the third option.”

Although initially there was some opposition to the club moving out of Group 9, Howse said that in hindsight, people now understand the reasons behind the move.

“90 percent of the town realise why we went to the George Tooke Shield,” he said.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is a very strong competition.”

Howse said that the move to the Shield competition allowed the club to further develop local talent into senior footballers.

“Out of the squad on the weekend 19 of the 21 are Cootamundra Bulldogs juniors,” he said.

The Bulldogs President remains optimistic that the Under 16s’ return may be the catalyst for the club to one day fully return to Group 9.

“It’s a look to the future sort of thing,” he said.

“If I do go in [to Group 9], I want to with five sides.”

The season springs to life this Saturday for the all grades in the Cootamundra club, with the Under 16s kicking off their season against Junee at Nixon Park in Temora before the Temora v Junee fixtures in Group 9, while the Men’s and Ladies League Tag sides face the Harden-Murrumburrah Hawks in Harden later in the afternoon.