The merger was rubber-stamped at the meeting, which took place in spite of the uncertainty surrounding the start to the new season.
Nick Bush is the new interim president of Echuca Lawn Tennis Club and Daryl Poole will continue for the time being as Echuca South Tennis Club president.
As earlier suggested the two clubs will combine to form Echuca Tennis Club prior to the new season starting and will contest the Goulburn Murray and Campaspe tennis competitions.
A memorandum of understanding has been approved by the clubs for the merger and Echuca South will conduct an extraordinary general meeting to finalise the process.
Bush said the clubs would have another meeting in a month’s time when the office bearers of the new Echuca Tennis Club would be elected.
“It has been decided that two members from each club will fill the top four positions with the new club committee,” Bush said.
Bush steps into the role to replace long time Lawn president Brian Gledhill, who had spent eight years as president of the club.
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The former Lawn president has relocated to Albury and said it was a good note on which to leave the club, realising the goal of amalgamating the two clubs.
The club's new name was one of the hotly debated topics of general business prior to the general meeting, but seems to sit well with both parties.
There is still no word on a start date for the season after the annual general meeting of Campaspe Tennis Association was “short and sharp”, with attendees resolving to discuss the matter further on September 23.
Association president Ryan Byrne said while the AGM went ahead as planned, it was unable to reach a resolution on a start date for the season.
“Most clubs were a bit hesitant to make plans and thought we would be better off meeting again, when we knew more about Victorian lockdown conditions,” Byrne said.
“As such, we will meet again (via Zoom) on September 23 when Victoria is expected to have an easing of restrictions.”
Byrne said at this stage the season looked almost certain to be starting later than usual.
“The meeting only went for half an hour. No-one had too much to say,” he said.
“From an Elmore perspective our club had spoken about it and was happy to try and start it at a normal time.
“Rochester threw out the idea of not starting the season until after Christmas, but we resolved to talk about it more later in the month.”
Byrne, a six-time Elmore Tennis Club singles champion, said he expected the association to have six clubs — the new Echuca Tennis Club, Rich River, Rochester, Elmore, Lockington-Bamawm United and Colbinabbin.
The competition’s senior format will continue to have the top two ranked male players involved in a singles, doubles and mixed sets, while the three and four seeded men play two doubles and a mixed set.
The four female seeds will contest two women’s doubles and one mixed.
The Section A junior format will continue to feature singles play, while Section B and C will be completely doubles sets for all four players, with no male or female orientation to the make-up of those doubles combinations
Another idea put forward during the pre-season has been the possibility of a tennis “hub” to allow players to navigate various border restrictions.
Andrew Crossman, Rich River’s most decorated player, said the potential of a “hub style” situation for tennis was not entirely out of the question.
“It’s amazing the extremes people will go to in order to play sport. We are seeing that at several different levels,” Crossman said.
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“If we have to start a bit later, so be it. And if we have to base ourselves somewhere on this side of the border, then that’s what will happen.”
● In Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association, the competition's annual general meeting will be held on September 18 via Zoom.
The teams deadline for this season is October 2, with an executive meeting to follow on October 3 to finalise teams and grades.
At this stage the season is slated to hit off on October 16.
- with Rohan Aldous
