Maryborough Giants open to idea of another merger

With a neighbouring club set for a big decision on its own future, the Maryborough Giants are open to providing help if needed. Here’s what we know.

The Maryborough Giants, with their playing kit for this year, have not ruled out a second merger in 12 months. Picture: Maryborough Giants Football Club.

A second merger for the Maryborough Giants has not been ruled out after the town’s other club, Maryborough Magpies, announced it was leaving the Bendigo league.

On Monday, the club announced to members and supporters the club will end it’s 32-year association with the Bendigo league at the end of year after a struggle for player numbers and significant losses in the competition.

The senior team is currently winless in 51 matches.

The discussion is now about where the club will play in 2025, potentially in another competition, or whether a merger could be on the cards.

Maryborough, if they opt to go at it alone, could play in a few leagues including the Central Highlands, Maryborough Castlemaine, Loddon Valley, Heathcote or the Riddell league, based on which competition might want them.

If they opt to merge then the Giants are open to it.

“You’d never say never to anything,” Maryborough Giants co-president Mark Raven said.

“We’ll sit down as a committee and do our due diligence if they come along and knock on the door.

“(We’ll ask) is this the right fit for the Giants and for the football in the region and the town.

“We’ll definitely look at it, you can’t shut the door on anything.”

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

Raven said there had been no communication this year between the two clubs.

But previously there has been talk about all three teams – Maryborough Rovers, Royal Park and Maryborough Magpies – coming together.

“The first time we started talking about it was 2017 when all three clubs met,” Raven said.

“There’s always been talk in the last 10 years of a merger and what it could look like.”

Maryborough Magpies could move into the same competition as Maryborough Giants if they choose that path.

Raven said while he would support the move, if the league voted them in, he had concerns about two teams competing in the same league.

One of the reasons for the Maryborough Giants move, which saw Maryborough Rovers and Royal Park merge, was to reduce the need for clubs in the area to fight each other for players.

The Giants president is hoping it doesn’t happen again.

“If they were elected in you would have to accept the decision of the delegates,” he said.

“You just hope if they were to come in they could come in with a full complement of sides right through football and netball to be sustainable for them.

“It makes it an interesting scenario for the Maryborough Giants (if it happened).

“We’ve tried to solve that problem of a lack of players and all that stuff (through the merger) in the town of Maryborough.

“It would be a concern (if two were here).

“(I hope it) would be absolutely something I would think the league and whoever adjudicates over it, you’d hope they’d consider what the repercussions may be.”