โWe were in a really good position at the end of last season,โ Henderson told this masthead.
Loading
โWeโd re-signed our really high-quality, top-end players, and then we recruited as aggressively as we possibly could. We went to Darwin. We didnโt leave any stone unturned.
โBut as time went by, the players who signed contracts felt that we werenโt going to be competitive, so they sort of stood off a bit and didnโt want to be really involved with the club.
โIt just became harder and harder with numbers and then guys starting to lose a bit of interest, and it just compounded.โ
Loading
Henderson, who was appointed at the end of 2024 for two years, said it did not come as a surprise when the decision was announced on Monday night.
โReality was probably staring us in the eyes,โ he said.
โYou could sort of feel the heaviness of the playing group that were training, and the coaches, too. It sucked a fair bit of enthusiasm out of the majority of people.
โWe were prepared to hang in there as long as we possibly could. But just after the last couple of training sessions, youโd be mad to think that we could be competitive in the Geelong league.โ
Lara Football Netball Club president Chris Spence was contacted for comment.
The GFNL has a salary cap of $120,000. The competition also operates a total player points system in which clubs have a capped number of points โ players are rated from one to five based on their experience and whether they came through the clubโs junior system.
โWe lost two of our most talented players to a side who played off in a prelim,โ Henderson said.
โMy take on it is that if those players are going to be recruited within the league, they should be worth eight to 10 points.
โAnd there should also be some sort of a transfer fee because otherwise itโs just becoming too easy for these top sides to pick off your talented juniors, and if it happens year-on-year, itโs pretty difficult to put out a competitive side.
Loading
โI understand they want success, and those clubs want to stay successful, but seriously, itโs at the detriment of the sides down the bottom.โ
Henderson said the problem was happening in leagues across Victoria.
He has coached at Swan Hill, Echuca, in the Riverina, and has been a development coach at Williamstown and Port Melbourne, as well as coaching the Bendigo Pioneers for two years.
Henderson was not sure what his next steps would be.
โI really donโt know,โ he said. โI suppose for me, it is trying to ensure that the welfare of the current players, who have still been training and turning up and doing the right thing, that their welfare is first and foremost, and we can transition them to another football club.โ
AFL Barwon chair Ashley West said the region remained optimistic that Lara could rebound.
โLocal football and netball are stronger with a sustainable and competitive Lara,โ West said.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
