Eastern Football Netball League clubs vote to accept Berwick Football Club for 2021
Berwick’s proposed transfer from the AFL Outer East to the Eastern Football Netball League is a step nearer after EFNL clubs voted to accept the Wickers for 2021.
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Berwick’s move to the Eastern Football Netball League is a step closer after clubs voted to accept the admission of the AFL Outer-East club at the league’s AGM last night.
The Wickers are set to become the EFNL’s 46th club beginning in season 2021.
The EFNL released a statement on its website early this morning saying: “The vote was put to all clubs on Wednesday night at the League’s Annual General Meeting where an overwhelming majority voted ‘yes’ to the move, pending transfer approval from AFL Outer East and ratification by AFL Victoria in 2020”.
Berwick, which currently plays in the AFL Outer-East’s top flight, will play in Premier Division in the east.
“It’s just the first step in the process, but we are very happy that our existing clubs have voted in favour of the Berwick Football Club becoming a senior affiliated member of the league,”
EFNL chief executive Troy Swainston said.
The Wickers’ arrival in 2021 will mean the league has 10-team competitions in Premier, Division 1 and Division 2. Promotion and relegation will apply in some but not all divisions at the end of the 2020 season.
HOW IT’S UNFOLDED
Berwick applied to join the EFNL earlier this year but was knocked back by a vote of the clubs on September 25.
It was suggested then that Berwick be placed in Division 1 for 2020, but clubs were notified before the vote that an alternative option of placing the Wickers in Division 2 would be adopted.
Berwick president Glenn Gambetta said he was thankful to be accepted by the EFNL clubs but that the club would still need to talk with AFL Outer East and AFL Victoria before the move was signed off.
“It’s one small step in the process,” he said. “We’re keeping a lid on it at the moment.
“And we’ve still got a season of footy in the AFL Outer East to get through.
“We’ll just take a breather and let the dust settle and then take a look at it after Christmas.”
Berwick was one of the dominant sides in the now-defunct South East Football Netball League, winning three premierships in four years between 2015 and 2018.
After the SEFNL and AFL Yarra Ranges joined forces to form the AFL Outer East for the 2019 season, it topped the Premier Division ladder after the home-and-away phase but fell to Narre Warren in the grand final.
The AFL Outer East was contacted for comment but declined to make a statement at this time.
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