Cohuna votes to move to the Heathcote league

Cohuna is once again looking to bounce into another league for next year. But their request could fall at the first hurdle in the next few days. Here is what we know.

Cohuna is looking to move to the Heathcote league. Picture: Cohuna Football Netball Club.

The Cohuna Kangaroos could find out if their latest attempt at joining the Heathcote league is successful or unsuccessful on Monday after a recent vote by the members gave the move the green light.

For the second straight year the Kangaroos are looking to move away from the Central Murray league to join the Heathcote District competition.

The club’s reasoning behind the move was to base it’s team in a league closer to Bendigo to help the Kangaroos keep their players and recruit more.

On Tuesday, club members voted to try to make the move a reality.

“The resolution required 75 per cent of votes in favour to proceed and we can confirm that 85 per cent of the vote was in favour (of moving),” Cohuna president Wade Mathers said.

“We will now notify the HDFNL of the outcome of our Special General Meeting vote and we will be informed of the process going forward.

“We will await further correspondence from the HDFNL on the next steps.”

Jack Geary is the coach at Cohuna. Picture: Cohuna Football Netball Club.

HDFNL operations manager Jan Mannes said the board would meet on Monday to discuss the move if the paperwork was done before then.

The board has the power to either allow the process to happen, which would see the board and clubs discuss and vote on whether to let Cohuna in, or end the interest.

“If that’s what the board decides (then that’s it),” Mannes said.

“If they feel they know what the clubs feel the board have the right to do that (say no).

“It’s up to the board.”

If the board makes the decision to allow the process to occur and the clubs and board to vote on it, nothing would be finalised until after the finals.

This weekend is the final round of the home-and-away season.

“Clubs have indicated they don’t want to discuss it until after the finals,” Mannes said.

“We have until October 31.”

Mannes said the clubs didn’t want to stretch their volunteers during an important part of the season, which happened last year when the Heathcote league had to vote on whether to include three teams into the competition – Marong, Maiden Gully YCW and Cohuna.

Cohuna is looking to move to the Heathcote league after playing in the Central Murray league since 1997 when the club formed after a merger between Cohuna and Union.