KYABRAM and District league team Merrigum pulled out of its scheduled pre-season football clash against Inglewood on Saturday, leaving a disappointed Woodies coach Fergus Payne scrambling to find an alternative match up.
Payne said he spoke to Merrigum officials last week, and was told they would have 27 players available for the match.
Inglewood had 38 players ready to go, so the club assumed all was well.
“I took it on face value but then heard a few things, so I called late on Wednesday and the coach said he had only 13 players,” Payne said.
He called around some other clubs to see if anything could be pulled together at the last moment, but was unsuccessful.
“So we played an intra-club match and had a great hit out with what we had. We played 18 a side and evened up the teams as best we could,” he said.
The season’s preparations would not be affected, Payne said, with a practice match this Saturday against Kyabram league side Lancaster before Inglewood opens the Loddon Valley season with a challenging game against reigning premiers Marong.
“Obviously you plan these games months out. We had this one sorted for three to four months, so it’s disappointing,” he said.
“But it is what it is, and we came up with other plans.”
- GARY WALSH