GMC adopts five-division structure, unifies women’s cricket competitions

GMC clubs and the league executive met in recent weeks to determine the future of the competition, with discussions surrounding sustainability and competitiveness driving several changes.

“All of this stems from us doing a survey and having a club forum,” GMC operations manager James Stokes said.

“With much help and direction from the clubs, they came back and expressed areas of concern. Collectively, we’ve been able to bring about some changes which I think will be positive for the GMC.”

Some of those changes include a reshuffle of the top-flight men’s and women’s competitions.

The McMahon Shield looks poised to return to a 10-team competition with Tongala set to make its return to A-grade cricket, two seasons after a player exodus forced the club to pull the pin on its top side.

A recommitment to the two-day game will have clubs play five long-format games during the 14-round season, though discussions will continue to be held on the viability of the format.

“In terms of competition longevity, two-day cricket was discussed and whether that’s going to be viable for all clubs,” Stokes said.

“We all agree this is going to continue to come up. What we have to figure out is what’s best going forward, what’s the best model? Can our clubs sustain two-day cricket with the way players are available now?

“That’s what’s changed, availability. If you take a look at that, our clubs are using the (two-day) substitute rule more. We need to continually come back and revisit it, because we don’t want to lose any clubs.”

Meanwhile, the A and B-grade women’s competitions will merge.

Last season’s A-grade division had been reduced to three teams, but it will now combine with B-grade’s seven clubs to bolster the women’s game.

Katamatite Cricket Club is the latest addition to the competition, fielding a women’s and under-15 girls’ side, while Moama and Cooma are also hopeful of fielding teams.

League vice-president Kate Carlile, who recently became the first female to be appointed to the executive, will oversee the women’s competition.

“Obviously, A-grade dropped off, so we need to go back and try and build it again,” Stokes said.

“The only way we can do that is to go back to one competition. At this stage, we’ll have 10 or 12 teams which will be ideal.

“We’ll have a bit of a gap in skill levels, but that’s going to happen anyway. We’ve got two come and try days to help develop skills, one will be in Echuca-Moama and one will be in Shepparton.

“Moama is still fighting pretty hard to get a women’s team up, which is great if they can, and so is Cooma.”

GMC men’s will also become a five-division competition, with the 14-team Bill Williams Shield (B-grade) splitting in two.

The top seven finishers in 2022-23 will form the newly dubbed Goulburn division, while the bottom seven will form the Murray division, with promotion and relegation applying between the two grades for the top two and bottom two.

Both B and C-grade will also compete in separate T20 competitions.

“That came out of trying to make clubs more competitive,” Stokes said.

“In each competition, clubs will play each other twice, so there won’t be any injustice in the draw.

“All of that has come from the forum. It opens the door for the bottom seven to be competitive.

“With a few T20s, it will be the first time ever we’ve played the format in the lower grades.”

Junior grades will change from under-12, 14, and 16 competitions to under-11, 13, 15, and 17 divisions to help strengthen the link between junior and senior cricket.