Quote Originally Posted by Fred Devils View Post
Given Suburbs boys have gone to Cardiff and we now need another team to fill a ZL2 spot or have a bye round because "Suburbs" are not in the comp, could Cardiff nominate to go ZL2?
I think the big issue is the loss of zone league teams altogether. The association can keep pushing teams up but it's not going to solve the issue of teams dropping out of zone league.

Is it a result of too many players moving from club to club? Maybe some players feel it is easier to move to a successful club rather then battle for a team that wasn't successful the year before.

Morisset dropping out is a big loss. It's difficult to see how the west side of Lake Macquarie has only 2 senior football sides (Toronto and Westlakes). Obviously it's a big player market for Lake Macquarie NPL and junior clubs but the Morisset/ Bonnells Bay area is a big growing area. Surely they can sustain a zone league 3 side at minimum.

The last few years have seen too many clubs come and go, but you hope that one day the zone league could crack 40 sustainable teams.

The Garden Suburbs / Cardiff situation was different, both clubs lost players and it was a win/win for both parties especially given the suburbs players were left without a home. But as previously discussed, other teams are better prepared for higher divisions.