The Group 11 board sees no reason to change its grand final date despite calls from its Group 10 counterpart to do so.
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The ratified Group 11 draw was released on Tuesday, more than a month after a set of fixtures subject to change was put out, with the biggest match of the season to be played on September 10.
That is the same day of the Group 10 grand finals, with its draw having been released in December last year.
“I’m a bit surprised they’ve done that,” Group 10 chairman Linore Zamparini said of the clash.
“If I’m a player and I’m late to the game I’d have checked (if there was a clash) first before I schedule a day like grand final day.
“We’d love to be able to enjoy their grand final, and I’m sure they’d feel the same about ours. It doesn’t make sense.
“You’d think Western might have to step in here. Common sense has to prevail.”
Group 11 board member Paul Loxley agreed it needs further investigation and added he and his fellow representatives would be willing to discuss any issue with Zamparini but said he saw no need to switch grand final dates.
“From my perspective I think we do need to discuss it but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to change ours,” he said.
“We can discuss it but we’ve just picked the same weekend we had last year.”
That is the case, with the Group 11 grand final once again being played on the second weekend in September while the Group 10 deciders were played a week later in 2016.
The Group 11 draw was ratified at Sunday’s Group 11 meeting, where a number of issues were covered.
The Parkes Nines competition is set to go ahead on the weekend of March 25 and 26, with the draw to be released in the near future.
Loxley added it was a “positive” meeting with clubs now becoming used to the new format, with the new-look Group 11 board and initiative of having just one member of each club represented and able to vote on any issue.
The Group 11 board also confirmed it will support clubs by paying for referees’ travel expenses every round.
Loxley added the board is keen for clubs to be a part of one-off rounds, with fixtures recognising the Close The Gap campaign and mental health awareness already confirmed.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
