Sport
26 October, 2023
Members vote for Giants to amalgamate with Storm
The members of two local football clubs exploring amalgamation, cast their votes on Wednesday night, with the results showing overwhelming support for a merger. The Southern Mallee Giants and Jeparit Rainbow Storm members gathered at their...
The members of two local football clubs exploring amalgamation, cast their votes on Wednesday night, with the results showing overwhelming support for an amalgamation.
The Southern Mallee Giants and Jeparit Rainbow Storm members gathered at their respective Hopetoun and Jeparit clubrooms, following this season’s challenges with player numbers which lead to discussions about potential amalgamation between several local clubs.
Giants’ member’s votes returned a 98 per cent majority in favour of the amalgamation, while Storm member’s returned a vote of 79 per cent.
The two clubs will now meet in the coming weeks to prepare and plan for their combined future, beginning in 2024.
The Southern Mallee Giants were established in 2015 following a similar amalgamation between the Hopetoun and Beulah Football Netball Clubs.
For every full season of competition they have played in, except one, they have had either their Senior Football or A Grade Netball side appear in the Grand Final.
The Senior footballers won the 2016 premiership, making their debut in the Horsham and District Football Netball League, and backed up their win the following year, which also saw the Reserves win their Grand Final.
In this most recent season, the SMG Seniors were runners-up in the Grand Final, after a thrilling match against Ararat.
SMG club president Nathan Williams said it was a fantastic feeling to finally have the amalgamation officially signed off on.
“The Giants are keen to move in this direction and the voting reflected that,” he said.
“We are happy with the numbers and support of the members that came to this decision.
“With the great support, it’s pretty exciting and we look forward to giving it a crack.”
Jeparit and Rainbow Football Netball Clubs amalgamated to form the Jeparit Rainbow Lakers in 1995, playing their 1996 debut in the Mallee Football League.
The Seniors won the 1997 premiership, and in 2015 left the League to join the Horsham and District Football Netball League, rebranding as Storm.
They have never missed a final in Horsham District League, and were runners-up this year to Harrow Balmoral.
Storm club president Lucas Edelsten said the amalgamation was an exciting, new step.
“It’s very exciting,” he said.
“Firstly it means more numbers and being able to fill all grades in football and netball, and secondly, the excitement of being a new club and having a lot more people involved.”
The amalgamation will be a positive move for both clubs and communities, with greater opportunities for the development of junior players, and a wider range of teams and skill levels to play in.