GRIFFITH is set to have four teams entered into the new Country Super League (CSL) competition, ensuring the region will have a large stake in the inaugural year of the ambitious new league.
Yoogali Football Club, Yoogali Soccer Club, Hanwood Football Club and Wests Soccer Club are set to throw their names into the ring ahead of the submission deadline on Monday.
Masterminds of the CSL are planning to develop a competition that is the best outside of the A-League and metropolitan premier leagues.
Clubs interested in getting on board had to move quickly this week after the Griffith District Football Association agreed to release any teams that wished the join the CSL.
YSC president Paul Fisher, who has been one of the CSL’s biggest supporters, said it was great to finally know where the top team will be playing in 2012.
“As (Griffith) vice-president we’ve got a very exciting time ahead of us, and for my club Yoogali Soccer Club, it’s going to be a big challenge but we’re not going to go down there to come second,” Fisher said.
Leading up to their decision this week, the Magpies were seen as one of the few teams that could have gone either way with their decision to join the CSL or not.
But after storming into last year’s Griffith grand finals, senior players made it clear at a meeting on Tuesday night this week they wanted to keep pushing their boundaries.
“We really want to look after the local comp, but it looks like we’re going to join the super league,” Wests’ Anthony Vecchio said.
“It all comes down to what the players want, they have spoken this time and the majority of the senior players want to go because they see it as an opportunity to enhance the quality of players in the competition.
“Our club has done a lot in the last couple of years to get our juniors up and running and stronger with our academy, so our first priority as a club is to maintain the quality in the Griffith competition, so we’ll do that as well as look to join the super league.”
Other clubs were realistic about their ability to fund and field a competitive team in the CSL, with Yenda Tigers president Kevin Curran saying the concept was too much of a stretch, at this point, for his club.
“I was at the meeting on Monday night and I think the concept has got merit, but from Yenda’s perspective, we’re more worried about getting a first grade side together (locally), we’re not in a position to consider super league,” Curran said.
“One of the other suggestions that was raised on the night, and it would apply to club’s like us and Griffith City and Leeton, they might not be in a position to send a team this year, but for a better term, a Griffith rep side made up of players from the others clubs.”
Griffith City confirmed it would not seek a place in the CSL, while Leeton United Football Club could not be reached for comment.
Hanwood Juniors’ Brian Bertolin said the CSL was out of reach for the club for 2012.