Ivanhoe, Old Paradians reveal impact of league move two seasons on
Ivanhoe and Old Paradians cited their future sustainability as major factors in moving leagues in 2023. How have the pair fared in the two years since?
When Ivanhoe and Old Paradians left the VAFA in 2023 it was to secure each club’s future.
Now two years in the Northern Football Netball League, has that aim been achieved?
Old Paradians won the NFNL Division 3 premiership in its first season and cemented itself in Division 2 this year, while Ivanhoe reached a Division 3 preliminary final in 2025.
Each club has proved itself on the field.
Off the field, there have been major changes too.
Raiders president Simon Vincent revealed the club has been forced to significantly increase income to cover new expenses but it has only strengthened the bottom line.
“We definitely have (been stronger off-field), we’ve had to change our commercial model pretty significantly but we pre-planned that,” Vincent said.
“It comes down to, not just tapping into sponsors and making sure they get value, but having really good events and a gameday experience so that they then come back. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on that and that has translated into shoring us up commercially.
“Our canteen as quadrupled, our crowds have gone from 30 to 300 and the money that comes from that has more than covered the additional expenses of moving leagues.
“I wouldn’t say we’re rich fat cats by any stretch of the imagination.
“The salary cap went up when we went up a division so instantly we had to find more money there.
“I didn’t want to have a strategy of just keep going back to the well with sponsors, I wanted to have a lot of other revenue streams to de-risk us, and events and merchandise and all that other stuff we sell way more of has given us a solid foundation.”
Sustainability was a major factor in both club’s decision to leave the amateurs after almost 200 years combined in the league.
Hoers president Peter Rawley said revenue had actually exceeded expectations in some areas.
“We’re in a building phase, we’re going into our third season in a semi-professional competition, so we’ve had a lot of learning along the way,” Rawley said.
“We’ve had greater crowd numbers, which is great to play in front of, as people come from opposition clubs and more of our supporters are coming to games.
“We’ve definitely had bigger crowds, we’re starting to get past players and people attached to the club coming down, and then playing more local teams their supporters are coming down to games.
“That drives different commercial outcomes of course; bar and canteen revenues, membership revenues, those sorts of things are higher than what we expected.”
Ivanhoe and Old Paradians haven’t been the last to leave the VAFA.
Bulleen Templstowe departed for the Eastern league in 2024, while St John’s Old Collegians will join the Southern league in 2026.
Chadstone, Eley Park and Swinburne Uni will all step back from senior football to Thirds football next year.
Player recruitment and retention were also major factors for Ivanhoe and Paradians.
After members voted to leave the VAFA, Vincent said the Raiders were in danger of becoming “irrelevant” due to its proximity of Northern league clubs.
The Hoers cited travel and remuneration as factors in attracting new players.
Each has shown it can now attract talent with the Raiders adding the likes of Sam Gilmore, Darcy Vallance and Billy Bedford in its first two seasons and now recruiting several top-flight premiership players for 2026.
“You can never beat a premiership, so that’s the jewel in the crown in our short (Northern league) history,” Vincent said.
“As president I look almost as fondly on our Club of the Year award because what that did was put a full stop on any doubters after our move, not only are we doing well on the field but we’re doing well off the field.
“Staying in Division 2 has sent the message out to people, former students or former St Damian’s juniors, and a lot of them have turned around and said ‘yep, now we’re convinced’.
“The sell to get a lot of those recruits back was surprisingly easy because they said we want to come back with our mates and help you get to the next level.”
Likewise, the Hoers have had a bumper off-season adding the likes of Riley Loton, Viv and Reuben Blackmore-Moore and Alex Federico – all club juniors.
“I think being in the Northern, without talking to individual players, I got a feeling there was a bit of wait and see in our first season,” Rawley said.
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“Our second season we built again and were more competitive in the men’s and our women’s got pushed up into Division 1, there was a lot of growth there.
“This season we’ve had a lot of interest from people that played in our juniors, looking at where we’re at and settling into the competition, and have more confidence coming to the club.”
Back on the field, Ivanhoe and Old Paradians will renew their rivalry when they meet in a practice match next year.
The Hoers will enter 2026 as one of the Division 3 premiership favourites, while the Raiders are expected to improve again after five wins in Division 2.
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