Penola Football and Netball Club join new Limestone Coast Football Netball League in 2025

The SANFL has “chosen” a historic South-East football and netball club to leave its current league and join a new one from next year.

Penola Football and Netball Club have announced it will leave the KNTFL at the end of 2024 and joining the newly formed LCFNL. Picture: Facebook.

The country football and netball leagues of the South-East are set for a shake-up next year with two clubs set to depart their respective leagues for the newly formed Limestone Coast Football Netball League (LCFNL).

The historic Penola Football and Netball Club – known as the Eagles – said it would depart the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League (KNTFL) at the end of 2024 and join the LCFNL in 2025.

The club, which was founded in 1865, said it had “been unequivocally chosen” to move its football and netball clubs to the new league in 2025.

“This letter comes after the SANFL have conducted a thorough review process and taken feedback from both the league executives and our club,” the club said.

The SANFL highlighted location, minimising travel, recruitment and retention, junior participation numbers and competitiveness as crucial in making the decision.

The Penola Eagles have been part of the KNTFL for more than three decades, joining in its inaugural year in 1993 after the Kowree-Naracoorte Football League and the Tatiara Football League merged.

The KNTFL is currently comprised of 10 clubs including Penola and in recent years has produced numerous AFL players including Lincoln McCarthy (Brisbane Lions), Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions), Darcy Fogarty (Adelaide Crows), Mitch Hinge (Adelaide Crows), Luke Pedlar (Adelaide Crows) and many others.

Matthew Lloyd playing for the Penola Football club. Source: Facebook/Penola Football Club

With the departure of Penola, the KNTFL league will consist of nine clubs in 2025 and the LCFNL eight.

The LCFNL, set to start its inaugural season next weekend on April 20, is a six-team competition comprised of four Mount Gambier clubs as well as teams from Millicent and Casterton.

The conception of the LCFNL was officially announced by the SANFL in October last year as a replacement for the now defunct Western Border Football League.

Announcing the LCFNL last year, the SANFL said two teams – one each from the KNTFL and the Mid South Eastern football (MSEFL) leagues – would move to the new league leaving the KNTFL and MSEFL with nine teams each and the new league with eight.

The SANFL is yet to announce which team will leave the MSEFL for the LCFNL at the end of this season.

The Penola Eagles said being closer to the LCFNL, combined with the challenge and opportunity to build a new competition, provided an “attractive proposition”.

They also said the new structure and roll out of the LCFNL in 2024 eased many previous hesitations around moving leagues.

All three of its committees – football, netball and junior football – voted unanimously in favour of joining the LCFNL in 2025 on Monday.

“We believe this league is a better fit for our senior footballers and netballers and provides greater future outcomes for our junior competitors,” the club said.

“We are excited to help build and strengthen this new league in the South-East of SA, while also enjoying less weekly travel commitments.

“We would like to thank the KNTFL and the KNTNA for more than three decades of competition, camaraderie, and friendship.

“The KNT holds a huge place in the history of the Penola Football and Netball Club and we will be forever thankful for the memories.”

The KNTFL and MSEFL 2024 competitions kick off this weekend on Saturday and the LCFNL starts its season the following week.