Local couple Mick "Surfy" Surfield and his wife Lisa took out a well deserved third spot in last weekend's Waikerie Enduro State Championship in their Super 1650 buggy. The weekend was heralded an outstanding success with one of the largest crowds ever.

Mid Murray Football future uncertain
By Kate Harden
The future of the Mid Murray Football League as we know it looks grim following the Murray Mallee Football Summit at Karoonda last Sunday.
The forum was an emotional gathering, which was tinged with sadness as die hard delegates voiced their concerns at the demise of several proud football leagues. The gathering provided each club and league with a forum to formally table their position and give them a better understanding of their progress and identify ways to protect football in as many communities as possible.
Representatives from teams within the Mallee, River Murray, Riverland, Hills and Mid Murray leagues as well as the South Australian National Football League and West Adelaide and Sturt Football Clubs attended the forum.
Members from the Ramco Football Club told the forum that they intend to look at several different options as they continue to struggle to find enough players for the four grades required to field within the Mid Murray Football Association.
Robertstown voiced that they wish to keep the Mid Murray Football Association going and indicated that they were not willing to join a merged league between the Mid Murray and Mallee Football leagues due to the distances to travel.
Sedan-Cambrai would also like to see the Mid Murray competition continue, but will explore several different options with their members, such as; merge with Blanchetown-Swan Reach and field one team in the River Murray Football League, join a new Murray Mallee league with the six Mallee sides or join the Hills Country League.
Blanchetown-Swan Reach favour a four team Mid Murray Football Association, but will also explore several different scenarios, including; merging with Sedan- Cambrai and field one team in the River Murray Football League, join a new Murray Mallee league with the six Mallee sides, and join the Riverland Independent league on the provision that under 13’s football was available.
It was heard at the forum that all six Mallee football clubs had indicated that they are prepared to travel further to increase the size of their league, while at least two clubs, and possibly three, may fold within the next two to three years due to poor numbers.
The future of the Mid Murray and Mallee Football Leagues looks poor when looking at population trends and player numbers across the board.
Out of the 475 senior players registered across the two leagues, 176 travelled from outside of the league to play for a club, with, more disturbingly, only 176 registered under 16’s and under 13’s filling spots for 440 positions available.
Margaret Thiel, secretary of the Ramco Football Club attended the meeting and told the River News that Ramco would be holding a special meeting next Wednesday to discuss the future of the club in the Mid Murray Association.
“We are not folding, just looking at the future of our clubs,” she said. “Time is of the essence, so it is imperative that all financial members entitled to vote, parents and supporters attend.”
The Ramco meeting will be held at the Ramco Football Club, Wednesday, July 30 at 7 p.m.