COUNTRY football competitions have naturally evolved as populations have shifted.

It was only a decade ago that the Bendigo league introduced a club from the new suburb of Strathfieldsaye on the outskirts of the city. Strathfieldsaye was formed to cater for the young families who had moved into the suburb and the club has quickly grown into a powerhouse of that competition.

In the Geelong league, a new junior club was formed a few years ago in the burgeoning Surf Coast region, with a plan for it to eventually ­become a senior club.

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