While the club is yet to receive a formal resignation from Pridham, C-grade coach and former president Melyssa Banks said it placed the club in a difficult position.
The ’Cutters were already having trouble filling an executive committee, and senior football players and a coach for the top team have been just as hard to come by.
If the club cannot field a senior team and find an executive committee, there will be no chance of the Mathoura Football Netball Club participating in the Picola and District Football Netball League season in 2022.
Banks said with the club treasurer also standing down during the weekend, a crisis meeting was being held on Wednesday, January 19, at 7pm at the Mathoura Transaction Centre.
It is hoped a new president and other vacant committee positions can be filled on the night.
The other issues facing the club will also be discussed, she said.
Murray River Councillor Tom Weyrich said there was more than just the future of football and netball at stake if the club could not continue in 2022.
He said it was vitally important to the community and district as a whole to have the club active.
‘‘Football netball clubs make up the fabric of rural and regional towns across Australia,’’ Weyrich said.
‘‘The best outcome for the meeting will be to find a committee and try to work out a way forward.
‘‘Football netball clubs offer a safe environment for families to come together; they are a community meeting place and an Aussie icon.
‘‘It is upsetting to see we are having to hold a crisis meeting one week before Australia Day, for something so unique and special to Australia.’’
Banks said support from the community was needed now more than ever.
‘‘We no longer have an executive committee at all, no senior coach or senior team,“ she said.
‘‘The future of our club also relies on the show of support from the community, which we hope to see at our full club training session on Monday night.
‘‘It has 100 per cent hit that point of desperation now.’’
Pridham said while he loved the club and was ‘‘extremely sad’’ to be stepping away, he said it was not feasible to continue in the role if there was no support of a committee or the community.
‘‘With the lack of support from the locals, the remainder of the executive stepping down, and how busy I am with my own business and personal life, it’s not achievable for me (to be president) any more,’’ he said.
‘‘No longer is the football season just a football season, it is a mammoth job all year round.
‘‘The saddest part is that without the support of the community, local kids may not have a football and netball club.’’
Banks said Monday night’s training sessions would be ‘‘the last chance to save the club’’.
‘‘I will be walking around trying my best to recruit as many people as I can, but I can’t do this alone. We need community involvement, not just players,’’ Banks said.
‘‘If you care about our club, please show us by turning up.
‘‘We hope to see many past, present and future representatives of our valued club at both the training night and crisis meeting.’’
The full club training will start at 6.15pm on Monday, January 17, at the club’s grounds in Morris St, Mathoura.
