There’s an old adage about making hay while the sun shines, while another warns of the potential for too much of a good thing.
Both seem applicable in the current climate with a short supply of rain in recent months appreciated by the Gippsland footy community, but not so for local farmers.
The Maffra & District Community Bank Branch Sale and District Junior Football Association is doing its bit to answer the call for support.
In lieu of gate takings at Sunday’s annual end of season under-10 round robin carnival, host clubs Nambrok-Newry and Boisdale-Briagolong collected donations to put towards drought relief.
Nambrok-Newry Junior Football Club president Geoff Cannon said the stars aligned perfectly to make it happen.
“There had been some discussion through the week about whether or not we would charge a gate entry to raise some money for the league coffers and we weren’t too sure,” Cannon said.
“We just wanted to be consistent (across the two venues) and we got talking at training (on Thursday night) and someone just said ‘why don’t we help the farmers’.
“Immediately I thought ‘that’s a winner, you can’t wrong with that’ so I put it to a few of committee members that were there and they were all for it.”
From there, Cannon raised the suggestion with the Association’s administration at AFL Gippsland and once Boisdale-Briagolong Junior Football Club voiced their approval, the plan was given the green light.
It followed a fortnight in which the issue of drought had become a major talking point, with media publicity and community-led initiatives such as the ‘Parma For A Farmer’ campaign gaining serious traction.
Cannon said his club just wanted to its bit for the worthy cause.
“The whole idea of our club is about community and Nambrok-Newry is a farming community, so we understand the plight of the farmers,” he said.
“If it buys a few bales of hay that can only be a good thing.”
Last Modified on 13/08/2018 01:29