Giants content with their own merger at the moment in MCDFNL

Maryborough Giants would welcome the Magpies to their competition next year if it happens. The club also address merger rumours with Maryborough. Here is what we know.

The new Maryborough Giants were formed after Royal Park and Maryborough Rovers merged at the end of 2023. Picture: Maryborough Giants Football Club.

The Maryborough Giants concede it would be almost impossible for any merger to happen between them and Maryborough as the Magpies prepare for their move away from the Bendigo league next year.

The Magpies announced earlier this week the team’s future was in either the Maryborough Castlemaine or the Central Highlands leagues.

They’re currently winless in 56 matches and suffered the biggest ever loss in the Bendigo league this season to Sandhurst.

The Magpies have also struggled for players and have been forced to forfeit numerous reserves games and field players from other teams, in three matches, to have a full senior team.

It left the team with no other choice but to look elsewhere.

Maryborough has revealed their move could also come with a merger with another club.

The Maryborough Giants are the closest team to the Magpies and have gone through a merger themselves in the past 12 months.

The Maryborough Giants, with their playing kit for this year, could have another team from the town join them. Picture: Maryborough Giants Football Club.

The Giants were formed after Royal Park and Maryborough Rovers merged at the end of last year.

Giants co-president Kate Balzan said the focus right now was on their club and not what is happening around the town.

“We understand Maryborough are exploring all options and are having lots of talks in different ways,” she said.

“Our focus is still the merger between our two clubs last year so we are still getting that 100 per cent on the way.”

When asked categorically if the merger option was ruled out, Balzan didn’t give a clear answer one way or the other.

But after it took 12 months for the Giants to come to fruition, through meetings, approvals and agreement on club name and design, Balzan said it would be tough to organise something before 2025.

“It’s hard to comment (on their future) when it is up in the air,” she said.

“We’re just focused on Giants and making sure out merger is successful from last year. I’d see it (a merger) as very hard I reckon at this stage of the year.

“It is a year long process and that’s why we started early in the year last year and had the whole year to celebrate our respective clubs so we were ready to start the year (2024).”

Balzan said year one of the merger was going great with the senior football team in position to make finals and all the netball teams are going strong.

“The buzz and vibe is excellent,” she said.

“The gates have been up and there has been plenty of people come to see us. At the start it’s hard to know how these things do go.

“To have that feel across the community is just wonderful.”

And the Giants co-president is confident if Maryborough joins the competition as a stand-alone club it won’t impact what their club is doing.

“We’re not too concerned at the moment,” she said.

“We’ve got really good numbers ourselves.

“They’ve still been pulling the same community as is, even if they are in the Bendigo league.

“We’re just happy with our numbers this year and hope it can continue.

“For MCDFNL, if that’s the way to go, (to let them in) then we’d support their decision on what they want for the league.”