Concern over lower grade forfeits towards the end of the season prompted the move.

Switching the under 16s Sullivan Cup (which only had six teams last year) out of senior football and into the juniors is one option, in a bid to keep players in the game through their mid-teens and limit the drop off between junior and senior football.

“We’ve believed for a long time the 16s should go back to juniors and right across the CRL they are (in junior leagues),” Morton said. “I would hope that if they go back there, it would help… you hope the numbers would stabilise a bit so that all the senior clubs can field an under 18s side when they come out of 16s.”

It may also open a window for another grade of women’s Leaguetag to potentially be added to senior football to build on its popularity.

Ironically, under 16s Leaguetag is part of the junior competition and all clubs field teams in the age group. Group Nine is looking at how best to accommodate that interest at senior level and will discuss with clubs whether they have the capacity to field a second team in either an under 18 or reserve grade competition.

Morton said, more broadly, the suggestions put forward to keep league alive will all be weighed up.

“The feedback’s all been good but we’ve still go to make some decisions on what you do to get the numbers back,” Morton said. “It’s not going to happen in one year. But there’s a lot of people realise now that if we keep doing what we’re doing we’re going to end up where we are now - going backwards. So we’ve got to change but where it is, I’m not sure.

“People have made a few suggestions, like Friday football. They’re the sort of things that have got to be discussed. Whether it’s an answer, I’m not sure. But people have thrown ideas up there and that’s good - that’s what you want.”

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