Melton South moves closer to RDFNL move

After several years of 100-point plus thrasings, Melton South is a step closer to finding its new footballing home for the 2025 season. Here are the ramifications for two leagues.

Melton South is on the move. Picture: Hamish Blair

The make-up of one of country footy’s biggest leagues is changing.

Melton South has now been accepted as a Riddell District league club, moving on from the Ballarat league for the 2025 season.

Riddell District officials confirmed its newest club in a statement on Friday afternoon after the Panthers received a majority vote to make the move.

“The RDFNL is pleased to announce that all votes are in and there was a majority 79 per cent vote for the acceptance of Melton South Football Netball Club joining the RDFNL for the 2025 season,” the league statement said.

“An important part of this vote was the vote of the senior men’s clubs and there was a 60 per cent majority across the senior men’s clubs as well who will be directly competing against MSFNC.

“The RDFNL has today written to AFL Victoria and the Ballarat Football Netball League to inform them both of the RDFNL’s position.

“The transfer of leagues procedure will now be followed as per AFL Victoria rules. We thank the Ballarat Football Netball League for their communication and understanding and the RDFNL has a great deal of respect for our neighbouring league.”

Melton South members had voted to leave the Ballarat league last month.

Club president Matthew Collins said the decision was well received.

“We’re rapt. It was a long 48 hours,” he said.

“We believe Ballarat are going to let us go, from conversations we’ve had with them, and we’ve just got to get AFL Victoria approval, which we assume they will.

“It’s pretty straight forward from there. In my opinion it does (keep the club alive).

“There was a real risk of us struggling to field a reserves side and we would have struggled to field a 19s side. Riddell is under-19.5 which means we have no players aged out.

“A lot of blokes were keen to return if we were to go to the Riddell league. It’s looking promising. We’re under no illusion of how we are going to come in (in terms of success). It’s going to be a battle for us, coming from a long way back.”

The Riddell District league will now be at 11 teams for next season after losing the Western Rams at the end of 2023.

Gisborne Giants will join as a new team.

After the announcement, Ballarat could be down to 10 teams.

Ballarat FNL board member Rob Simmonds said the loss of Melton South was “disappointing”.

“They’ve been a great part of our league for 27 years,” he said.

“The eastern block clubs are a really good bunch of clubs and an integral part of the competition. It will be sad to see them go.

“We understand why they’ve made the decision for the best interests of the club and fully respect it.

“Who knows one day they might request to come back and we certainly will welcome them back.

“We’re not going to stand in their way. We want to continue to have a good relationship with them.”