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Seismic change is on the football horizon across the south-west.
It's not new that clubs struggle for numbers from time to time but it's becoming more prevalent.
It wasn't long ago that Deakin University Sharks went into recess and left the Warrnambool and District Football Netball league with 11 clubs.
This week the focus has been on the Mininera and District league after Ararat Eagles copped a 509-point hiding.
MDFL club Penshurst is interested in exploring a move to the WDFNL.
Neighbouring Hawkesdale-Macarthur is also open to talks.
Not so long ago we reported Terang Mortlake's struggles in the Hampden league on the back of the changing economics of dairy farming and that area's population.
Clubs in the vicinity - Kolora-Noorat, Camperdown, Cobden, Timboon Demons, Nirranda and Panmure - are all jostling for players from the same pool.
No-one wants to see clubs fold because they are the lifeblood of their town or community. But the reality is there are too many clubs and not enough players.
It seems that every five or so years there are talks about the game's future.
But now the talks are getting serious. If Penshurst and Hawkesdale-Macarthur choose to change leagues, the landscape changes.
For the WDFNL the addition of new clubs would be a breath of fresh air.
The disparity between top and bottom would need to be addressed but the league would be better with teams from a new frontier.
There are pros and cons. But instead of considering one club in isolation, a wide-ranging review is needed that is serious about mapping out a bright future.
It can't be a talk-fest dominated by the past or parochial views with no outcomes otherwise the great game risks more challenges.
Away from the sporting field, council accountability remains a big topic. Warrnambool City Council continues to field questions about its use of credit cards. South West Coast MP Roma Britnell says the government needs to investigate. After a senior WCC officer resigned for inappropriate purposes on his ratepayer-funded card, this week we asked neighbouring councils how many credit cards they had and what policies governing their use existed. The responses were interesting. Credit cards are an essential part of doing business but councils need to be accountable to ratepayers and remember every dollar counts.
Credit cards also made headlines in a different way. Warrnambool butcher David Wiese intends to go cash-less next week, expecting customers to use cards only. It was a hot topic on social media that split our readers.
Warrnambool's housing market is vibrant to say the least. We revealed prices are strong but there's not enough properties up for sale.
Here's a selection of stories that also made headlines.
Until next week,