The league has been criticised by past players and administrators for holding its grand final so early in the year, but Albrecht said he stood by the decision. 

“Our aim for the grand final was to make it a marquee game. There was no football for roughly 200 kilometres,” he said.

“It was a great way to capitalise and the crowd indicated that. It was the biggest crowd the football league has ever seen by quite a bit.

“Clubs knew that we were going to finish earlier in the year. The draw was made in the off season.”

Members of the league’s 200 Club as well as a Toohey medallist, life members and a league legend, penned a letter to the Mail-Times, questioning why the grand final was played so early.

The former players and administrators were also concerned about the amount of input clubs had into how the league was run.

Wimmera Football League 200-gamer Bill McGrath said the region’s major league should always have preference to finish last as was the case with the VFL and AFL. 

“The AFL had a bye after the home and away game to do just that,” he said. 

“There needs to be an adjustment in our league, which is the major league in the north-west, after defeating Sunraysia this year. 

“The league has eight teams instead of 10 like a few years ago, but I don’t think that should make the season shorter. Maybe put in an extra couple of rounds.”

McGrath, a former league president, said clubs used to have major input into how the league operated. 

Albrecht said the delegate system used to administer football leagues in the past was no longer seen as the way forward. He said one of the issues with the old system was clubs voting to aid their own team. 

“The league is going forward. We have put in a strategic plan, we are updating the constitution. You can only do that with independent commissioners,” Albrecht said. 

“Our landscape is dramatically changing. The populations in smaller towns are dropping. 

“The juniors are the hardest to maintain in the smaller towns but we have been planning with AFL regional development officer Jason Muldoon to promote and expose the juniors with clinics and the TAC Cup.” 

McGrath said clubs should have more of a say on how the league was operated. “It seems to be coming from the AFL. Of course it works for them, but we aren’t as big a body as they are and have to run the league as a community,” he said. 

Albrecht said change was crucial to the league’s growth.

“We would rather try something than not find out at all,” he said. 

“This year was just a trial, but we will present this to the clubs in the pre-season to see if they would like to do it again. Having the grand final early gave everyone in the Wimmera the chance to go to an AFL final.”

Albrecht said the league would also introduce Good Friday Football next season with Stawell Warriors and Ararat Rats to take part in the match.