EFNL 2025: Embattled Eastern club Doncaster enters recess

A proud Eastern club will not take the field this season, with the league breaking its silence just days out from round one. Latest here.

EFNL 2025: Doncaster is in recess. Picture: Davis Harrigan

DONCASTER has gone into recess.

The Eastern league has broken its silence on the battling Division 1 club just four days out from round one, with the Sharks forced to withdraw its senior program following a player exodus this off-season.

“This difficult decision has been made after extensive discussions with the club’s leadership, players, and the EFNL, with a focus on ensuring the club’s long-term sustainability and success,” the league said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

The plan is for the club to re-enter the competition in Division 4 from 2026. It will field a netball team this season.

Eastern league chief executive officer Jy Bond said the league would support the club in its bid to return next year.

“Doncaster Football Club is an important part of our league, with a rich history, one we are willing to retain and work for, and while this decision is disappointing, it is a necessary step towards ensuring a strong and competitive future,” Bond said.

“The EFNL will work closely with Doncaster to assist in the formation of a new committee and support their re-entry in 2026.”

Doncaster president Sean O’Gorman said:

“While stepping away from competition for a season is not ideal, we are confident that this reset will allow us to build a sustainable future. We encourage all past and present players, members, and supporters to stay engaged as we work towards our return. We also want to engage with our junior club to ensure future pathways for a sustainable future.”

The league said Doncaster’s withdrawal would force the division into a nine-team competition, creating a bye, while “further updates on the division structure in 2026 will be communicated in due course.”

Promoted outfit Boronia was scheduled to unfurl its 2024 Division 2 premiership flag against Doncaster in Division 1 this Saturday.

EARLIER ...

The Eastern league could be forced into a last-minute division shuffle as proud club Doncaster fights for survival.

Speculation about the immediate future of the Division 1 Sharks has intensified this week following a player exodus in the off-season.

It’s understood the league is working with Doncaster on a resolution.

The Eastern league season begins on Saturday, with Division 3 pair Silvan and Coldstream opening the year in a standalone clash.

Despite Doncaster vehemently denying rumours of a player shortage a month ago after it advertised for personnel, talk persists that the club could go into recess or drop divisions in a bid to survive.

“We’ll be fine going forward. There’s always rumours … and the same ones the last few years, we’ll be fine, we’ll get a team up, there’s no dramas,” Doncaster president Sean O’Gorman told this masthead last month.

One scenario circulating in Eastern this week had the club headed for Division 4, while another had it moving down to Division 3.

The Division 3 move insisted Croydon, currently in Division 2 after a runner-up finish last year, would replace Doncaster in Division 1, while Donvale – which suffered a two-point grand final heartbreak in Division 3 – would be promoted to Division 2.

Croydon and Donvale have declined to comment.

The Sharks enjoyed a rapid rise through the divisions in the 2010s as a destination club flush with ex-AFL talent, winning premierships in 2011, ’13 and ’15 to jump into the league’s top-flight.

Its current senior coach, Chris Annakis, won back-to-back Chandler medals across 2017 and ‘18 as the top division’s best and fairest player with the club a regular feature in finals.

It suffered relegation from Premier Division at the end of 2023 before winning just three matches in Division 1 last season.

Doncaster’s predicament follows near-century-old club Nunawading’s withdrawal of its senior men’s and reserves teams last month – just two years shy of its centenary.

Doncaster Football Club and the Eastern league have been contacted for comment.