While the new-look top grade – which will feature a number of new sides – does get under way, this year the ODFA has also introduced a brand-new under-17 competition and confirmed it will trial a sin bin in 2018 as well, having been given the option of doing so by Football NSW.

“It’s all pretty exciting,” ODFA competition secretary Glenn Harpley said.

“Having looked at the numbers for juniors, they drop off markedly after under 14s. After under 16s players have sort of had nothing to go to unless they went straight into seniors as well, so this year we’re linking with Bathurst to have a combined under-16 and under-17 competition. We’re hoping we can build on that next season, and introduce under 18s as well.

“The sin bin was discussed by the [International Football Advisory Board] and while it did take a while to trickle down in Australia, Football NSW are trialling it in the National Premier League 3 under 16s and left it up to individual associations whether they’d do it too.

“We spoke to the referees, clubs and Bathurst’s association too and we all agreed it was worth a shot. It’s about supporting referees, giving them another way to help control the game and just promoting safe environments for everyone.”

The sin bin only applies to yellow cards handed out for referee dissent. If a junior player – from under 12s through to under 16s – is given one, they’ll spend five minutes in the bin and that increases to 10 minutes in the senior grades.

“It’s only for referee dissent, whether that be verbal or physical,” Harpley explained.

“We looked the numbers and we had about 150 yellow cards handed out over the senior competitions last year, about one third were for dissent. It’ll be a challenge, change always is, but we think it’ll create an interesting new aspect to the game.”

Harpley explained the ODFA has also worked its draws to increase the number of weeks where clubs’ junior and senior teams play together on the same day, a massive boost for regional clubs like Millthorpe and Blayney in particular.

In the 2018 A grade competition, Waratahs have dropped from four teams to two while Barnstoneworth have entered a second side. Saints Turbulence and defending premiers Millthorpe return while CYMS, Kinross and Barbarians are in the top grade too, Ex-Services have dropped to the combined B and C grade league.

In Saturday’s opening round Waratahs United plays Barbarians and Barnstoneworth United faces Saints, both from 1.30pm, while Waratahs FC faces Barnstoneworth FC and CYMS play Millthorpe, both from 3.15pm.

All four games are at Waratahs Sportsground. The B and C Grade and Over 35 competitions kick-off on April 28, as do the juniors.