Kilmore’s move to the Northern Football League given green light

THE Northern Football League has welcomed its second new team in as many years after Kilmore’s switch was given the green light on Tuesday.

s08sr934 RDFL Football: Diggers Rest v Kilmore. Kilmore's no 21 Matthew Zanini takes a mark

THE Northern Football League has welcomed its second new team in as many years after Kilmore’s switch from the Riddell District Football League was given the green light on Tuesday.

The Blues applied to join the NFL in September, but their move was put on hold last month when a majority of RDFL clubs voted against it.

Kilmore had been concerned it would be forced into recess or have to fold if it stayed in the RDFL after battling to re-sign players for next year.

But both leagues confirmed AFL Victoria had approved the Blues’ application on Tuesday evening.

NFL chief executive Peter McDougall said Kilmore would compete in Division 3 in its first year in the competition.

“The club believes (its) move to the NFL will enhance its long-term viability and I am certain Kilmore will be a successful and vibrant club in our league,” McDougall said.

“The addition of Kilmore assists with growing our senior football competition and will also enable us to increase our number of senior netball teams.”

Kilmore’s addition will eliminate the regular bye which has existed in the Division 3 fixture for several years.

NFL clubs voted unanimously to allow the Blues to join the competition at a special general meeting in September.

After RDFL clubs voted against the league switch, Kilmore president David Milne said he was concerned it would be “NFL or die” for the club.

In a statement issued on its Facebook page, the Blues hailed the approval of their application as “fantastic news”.

The RDFL will be a 12-team competition from 2016, with more fixture details to be released next month.

“Whilst disappointed to lose a club that has had 66 years of history in the RDFNL, the league hopes that this move rejuvenates the Kilmore FNC and that the club is successful and prosperous long into the future,” the RDFL said in a statement.

Fellow Division 3 club Banyule crossed from the Victorian Amateur Football Association to the NFL last year.

Meanwhile, the NFL has confirmed it will schedule a competition-wide bye on the weekend of May 21-22 next year to accommodate the inaugural AFL Victoria Community Championships.