Kilmore applies to join Northern Football League Division 3 after 28 years in Riddell District Football League

THE  Northern Football League looks set to welcome a new club in 2016, with Kilmore applying to join Division 3.

Southern FL: Keysborough v Oakleigh District at Keysborough. Oakleigh's Luke Casey tackles Keysborough's Tim Bacic.

THE  Northern Football League looks set to welcome a new club in 2016, with Kilmore applying to join Division 3.

The Riddell District Football League outfit held talks with the NFL last Tuesday regarding the application and will ask its members to vote on the switch on September 25.

Should that vote pass, a further meeting will be held with the NFL and its club presidents on September 29, which could rubberstamp the move. The NFL has indicated it will ask member clubs to accept Kilmore’s application for a spot in Division 3, which currently has seven teams. Kilmore president David Milne said a switch to the NFL was viewed as important for the Blues’ long-term viability.

“We’re just exploring all options and it just sort of started snowballing so we’ve gone with it,” he told Leader.

“Most of our players, because they’re all young blokes, are either working in the northern suburbs, living there or going to uni there. Most of them don’t want to just keep travelling up every week and then heading over to Melton or whatever.

“So to keep our player base, it’s going to end up being a necessity. There’s probably 20-odd kids living down there, so every second week is going to be like a home gave for them.”

Kilmore has collected the past three wooden spoons in the RDFL, going winless in 2013 and winning only one game in both 2014 and 2015.

The RDFL was blindsided by Kilmore’s application to join the NFL but said in a statement last week it would meet with the club next Monday to gauge if it could do anything to help keep the Blues in its competition.

“We are committed to working closely with the Kilmore FNC during the process that will now be followed,” the statement said. “We obviously remain hopeful that their future will continue to lie within the Riddell District FNL.”