WITH a meeting to be held in Binalong on Tuesday, July 3, it is hoped that the people of the village will have a team competing in the George Tooke Shield rugby league competition for 2013. Acting club president Michael Brayshaw is hoping for a good turn out at this meeting in an attempt to have the 2010 premiers return from their hiatus and again have a competitive team next season.
The first function of the July 3 meeting is to organise the club’s much needed annual fundraising function known as “Shear Mania”.
This event is to be held on Saturday, July 7, at the property “Kuriong” on the Bendenine Road. “Shear Mania” has become the Brahman’s financial mainstay over recent years; the organisers have more than 600 sheep to be shorn and shearers and shedhands are still needed to volunteer their services for the day, which starts at 7:30am.
As a reward for volunteers, a bonfire accompanied by music, food and drinks will be provided at the end of the work day. A major social function for Binalong, the barbecue afterwards has been very well attended in previous years.
Acting president Brayshaw said: “We are confident we can engage a captain/coach for the Brahmans by late July this year but I’m still keen to hear from anyone who thinks they would have the qualifications for the job.”
A number of the 2011 Binalong team have moved to other rugby league clubs for this year and a few have retired from the game.
“I’ve had a number of enquiries from potential players for 2013 and I’m confident we can get a reasonably competitive team together for the new season,” he said.
“The Binalong community have been without their footy team for too long and I want to encourage as many residents and interested patrons to come to our meeting on July 3.
“The community and government provided us with a lot of funds to make improvements to our home ground and it’s a crying shame to see it not being used on Saturdays.”
George Tooke Shield is a competition organised by the Country Rugby League specifically for smaller communities who don’t have the resources to provide a reserve grade and first grade side and in most cases no junior side either.
Once boasting as many as 11 teams, the competition has dwindled to as few as seven in 2012.
A number of the other clubs were disappointed that Binalong had no team for the current season.
Having appeared in successive premiership grand finals in 2010 and 2011, the Brahmans were regarded as a sort of yardstick by the other clubs to measure their relative strengths against. Asked if he had heard these murmurings, and whether he would nominate potential players for next year, Michael Brayshaw replied:
“I’ve heard these things too but I’m not going to rule anyone in or out for the new year, just that we are all confident we can get a captain/coach very soon and also have a good start on a playing roster as well.”
The July 3 meeting is set down for 7pm at the Binalong Hotel and interested residents and supporters are encouraged to attend the meeting and voice their opinions on reforming the Binalong Brahmans.
For further information for followers and potential players, contact Michael Brayshaw on 0437 688803.
