Braidwood Touch looking to continue growth

Each week sees consistent turnouts not only from the twelve sides participating, but also from families and supporters of the teams. 

Perhaps most pleasingly for the club, the atmosphere at each round is also extremely positive and family friendly. 

“We’re getting consistent, high numbers turning out for the teams but also with supporters,” Kemp said. 

“It’s proved to be a great social occasion. People getting down there and catching up with people they don’t regularly see.

“We’re getting family members down there, kids running around … it’s been a great family competition.” 

As the tournament has proceeded, the hierarchy of the teams involved began to establish itself, and Kemp said that there is a good mix of social teams and competitive sides. 

“The competition is sort of settling out now,” he said. 

“The ladder’s sort of fairly well established with the top-tier teams and the social towards the bottom.

“We thought we might have problems with player numbers as we settled into the season, but we’ve had no problems at all.” 

The committee has also begun to explore options for expansion in coming years. 

One possibility is the inception of a possible junior or women’s division. Currently, the competition is mixed, so women, men, and children all play in the same league. 

“We probably want to evolve the competition a little bit without making dramatic steps,” Kemp said. 

“But [we’re] certainly keen to make sure that whatever happens, we’re getting families down to the competition so we keep that family feel.” 

The ultimate goal of the committee is to ensure that the competition survives and continues to thrive, and Kemp thanked the council for its continued support of that goal. 

“The council’s been terrific with the standard of the field, the markings, and the lights,” he said. 

“We’ve had great support, and it’d be a real shame if we let it drop away.”