Parkside’s members vote in favour of switch from Northern Football League to Victorian Amateur Football Association

PARKSIDE is one step closer to returning to the VAFA in 2015 after its members voted to leave the Northern Football League last night.

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PARKSIDE is one step closer to returning to the Victorian Amateur Football Association in 2015 after its members voted to leave the Northern Football League last night.

About 80 members of the Division 3 club voted at a special general meeting, with about 50 in favour of a move to the VAFA.

Parkside Past Players and Officials Association secretary Jason McCall said the decision had left most of his group’s members disillusioned.

“The vote went the committee’s way,” McCall said.

“It was 52-30 I think.

“The majority were the playing group.”

He said he was unsure whether Parkside’s past players would follow the club to the VAFA or find another club to support.

Parkside president Michael Sabelberg recently told the Leader there were “a couple of reasons” the club’s committee had been investigating a move to the VAFA for several months.

McCall said the proposed move still needed approval from AFL Victoria, the NFL and VAFA before it would be ratified.

“There’s still a couple of hurdles to jump, but we’ll just wait and see how that pans out I guess,” he said.

Parkside has competed in the Diamond Valley and Northern football leagues since 2003 after playing for more than six decades in the VAFA.

The Devils struggled over the 2014 season, winning only one match.

VAFA Premier C club Banyule has signalled its intent to join the NFL next year and could take Parkside’s place in the third tier.