Clubs push for new local Aussie Rules comp

BALLINA Bombers and Byron Bay Magpies are considering forming a new local Aussie Rules competition after failing to register for the AFL Queensland League, leaving men’s football in the region at a crossroads.

Both clubs are in limbo after not registering teams in the QFA Division 2 South competition on the Gold Coast, which requires clubs to field both a senior men’s and reserves team.

Ballina and Byron Bay merged last season to form the Southern Stingrays in a joint venture, with each club still fielding its own reserves side.

Byron Bay club president Nick Rojo said both clubs were unable to register teams before the November cut-off.

“I think the solution is to go back to running our own local competition,” Rojo said.

“We’re in a transient location and it was just impossible for us to know what we were doing in November.

“We need to make a new local competition that is accessible and helps rebuild the game in the region.”

Rojo said the joint venture struggled to compete against the stronger sides on the Gold Coast last year.

Byron Bay played in the AFL North Coast competition in 2023, which presented another set of challenges.

The Magpies were dominant, winning the grand final by nine goals, while having to travel up to four hours to play games at Port Macquarie.

“We probably got a bit ahead of ourselves there, it’s hard to get young guys to commit,” Rojo said.

“There is already a lot of them who are on apprenticeships who aren’t playing because they don’t want to get hurt in case they lose their job.”

Rojo suggested a modified competition with four teams could be a starting point this season with the likes of Casino and Lismore joining them.

Both teams have played in the AFL North Coast competition.

Lismore has not re-formed since the floods in 2022 while Casino pulled out after the following season.

“We could set our own rules around a modified game, it could be like masters, but there would still be contact,” Rojo said.

“We need to be open about trying something different in this region to make it work.

“We’ll definitely be playing footy in some capacity this year.”

The women’s teams at Ballina and Byron Bay will still play on the Gold Coast this season.

Rojo said there were plans for a meeting with AFL Queensland around the future of the men’s teams next month.