They have been the most successful club in AFL North West history but the New England Nomads might not take the field in 2024.
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Unless they can find a host of new players.
The season is scheduled to begin on April 27 and the Nomads are struggling to find enough players to even field the bare minimum.
"We have got about 12," Nomads president Adrian Walsh told the Armidale Express.
"This would be the worst in the 20 years I have been here.
"It is an unfortunate circumstance where we had a number of key players leave or retire and it has all happened at once.
"We haven't been able to refill it quick enough with new people coming to town or any new students."
Of those key losses, 2023 leading goal-kicker Fraser Menzies has gone, along with Lindsay Brown and Noah Connick.
The club has made an effort to recruit, appearing at field days and Sport UNE's Matt Pine putting the word around at the university.
Walsh has put a call out to the Armidale community.
He said anyone can sign up to the sport, it doesn't matter whether they have experience or not. There's plenty of good teachers.
"I don't know what the answer is but we are looking for players," he said.
"Over the years we have had many, many people who have come and never played before.
"Harry Dobson, who is the coach at the moment, is a really good coach."
The Nomads have a history of turning over players due to being a university-based club.
But it is unusual to only have a handful turn up.
"There has always been a risk of this because we have had a lot of turnover," Walsh said.
"It is not just the university, Armidale is a bit more transient than you would think.
"We had people there from the solar farms and they have gone.
"We are hoping and intending to get a team but it is the worst it has ever been."
Walsh emphasised the fact players don't need to have experience to sign up.
If anyone is interested in giving the sport a go, the Nomads train at Bellevue Oval on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm.