Essendon District league votes on premierships and promotion, relegation
The Essendon District Football League has voted on awarding premierships in an unfinished season as well as promotion and relegation.
Essendon
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The Essendon District Football League has taken the bold step of awarding premierships for the unfinished 2021 season.
The league announced on Thursday that it had voted to award flags in all divisions to the ladder leader despite no finals being played.
Promotion and relegation will also be enforced in senior men’s competitions.
The awarding of premierships is contentious, particularly in Premier Division and Division 2 where Strathmore finished ahead of Keilor and Moonee Valley ahead of Oak Park on percentage only.
It was more clear cut in Division 1 where East Keilor finished two games clear of Tullamarine.
As such, Craigieburn and Taylors Lakes will be relegated in 2022 after winless seasons in Premier Division and Division 1 respectively.
East Keilor and Moonee Valley will be promoted from Division 1 and 2 as premiers.
East Keilor coach Pat Christofi said it was a “hollow” but was adamant his players deserved it.
“I came to the club at the end of 2018 with one goal in mind and that was to take our club to Premier (Division),” he said.
“I think we’ve proved throughout the year we were worthy of that ... receiving it in this manner is not the way I wanted to receive it.
“I take my hat off to the East Keilor board - Geoff Nicholl and Gavan Wignall - and mostly to my playing group that stayed resilient throughout 2020 and 2021.
“We’ve ticked every box, we’ve reached it in a manner that I don’t think anyone wanted to, but we’ll take it, we’re proud of our achievements.
“As a footy club we’re looking forward and we’ll embrace the challenge ahead and I can tell you right now, we’re not coming back.”
The announcement follows last week’s decision by all metropolitan leagues to cancel the 2021 season due to Melbourne’s ongoing COVID lockdown.
Fellow metro competition, the Eastern Football League announced this week that promotion and relegation would not automatically apply.
The league determined “minor premierships” would be awarded to recognise those clubs that had finished on top but stopped short of full premierships.
The EDFL will also freeze its three competition’s salary caps at $100,000, $90,000 and $70,000 for Premier Division, Division 1 and Division 2.
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Meanwhile, the EDFL awards will be spread out over the next month.
The Reynolds Medal night, for the Premier Division league best-and-fairest will be held on Thursday, September 30.
The Premier Division women’s awards will be announced on September 29, Division 1 women’s and men’s awards on September 27-28.
Division 1 women’s and men’s medals will be handed out on September 22-23.
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