Tough club rewarded for survival

The Cobar Football club has been part of the Northern Riverina Football League for 17 years but is yet to host a final in their home town. Up until this year, they were yet to win a final at all.

Now the people of Cobar will get the chance to get up close to the finals action when the Cobar Showground hosts a Preliminary Final at the business end of the 2013 season.

League President Peter McFadyen said a finals game is a just reward for a club that has had to endure more than most just to play football.

“The Cobar Football Club is a very important part of our League and it is an amazing achievement that they still exist at all,” McFadyen said.

“Every second week they have to travel, sometimes up to five hours, just to get to a game.”

Cobar is a town of 7000 people in Central Western NSW, 700km from Sydney with AFL competing with soccer, Rugby Union and Rugby League.

The Football Club started with one senior side in 1995 with an influx of Victorian and South Australian miners eager to play their traditional game.

The Club has expanded to include three netball teams and the players are now not only miners but locals too.

The Club has often struggled for numbers with the side travelling across the Central West every second week. Their closest game outside of Cobar is 260km away and they sometimes have to travel up to five hours each way.

Concessions have been made to ensure the survival of the club and because of the work commitments of players, the side often fields 15 players for away matches.

Facilities have been an obstacle in awarding the Club a final before now with the Showground in Cobar an odd shape and the ground running east to west rather than the traditional north to south.

But as Cobar won its first final in the Club’s history, the League decided to reward one of its most valuable clubs.

“Cobar have been in finals before but it wasn’t until this year, against the Hillston Swans, that they scored their first ever finals victory,” McFadyen said.

The Club, and the town, now have 12 months to get ready for the final, scheduled for the end of August next year.

“Cobar is such a welcoming and hospitable town and we know they will do a great job hosting the final,” McFayden said.

“Now they know just what an important part of the League they are and this finals game is a testament to their success and surviving endurance.”

Photo courtesy of The Cobar Age