Doveton Eagles drop to Division 3 and ruled ineligible for promotion
After winning last year’s Division 2 flag, the Doveton Eagles asked to be relegated instead of promoted due to an off-season from hell. The Southern league has granted their request, but with massive sanctions.
Southern
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Promoted to Division 1 after their 2019 premiership, the Doveton Eagles will instead drop to Division 3 — and kick off the season on minus 16 points on the ladder.
The Southern Football Netball League board has agreed with the Eagles’ request to go down a grade as they try to rally from a player exodus.
It means bottom-of-the-ladder clubs Oakleigh District (Division 1) and Heatherton (Division 2) will dodge relegation.
The Eagles have lost most their players since their Division 2 grand final victory over Springvale Districts, despite attempts from coaching staff and officials to halt the flow of departures.
Club presidents met at Moorabbin last Wednesday night to discuss the club’s plight.
The overwhelming view was that the league should do everything in its power to help the Eagles, who have had two changes of president since the premiership.
The respected Jenny Davis has returned as co-president and addressed the meeting.
The Southern league this afternoon announced it was placing Doveton Eagles in Division 3, as the club had asked.
But the Eagles face a number of sanctions over governance and financial issues, including:
■ STARTING the 2020 ladder on minus 16 points and being ineligible for promotion even if they win the premiership.
■ KICKING off 2021 on minus eight points and again being unable to go up a division.
■ SUBMITTING monthly financial reports to the SFNL in 2020 and 2021.
SFNL chief executive officer Lee Hartman told Leader the club had asked to be “repositioned because of circumstances, those being player personnel and internal issues’’.
“The board has met their request, but put in place the sanctions around poor governance and reporting, and around financial issues, and we’re working hard with the club to rectify those issues,’’ he said.
“All the club presidents were sympathetic to their cause and to keeping the club viable and operating. But they agreed there had to be some sanctions for allowing the club to get in the position it’s now in.’’
Hartman said the Doveton Eagles’ debt was manageable.
The Eagles fielded three senior teams last year and will look to rebuild through the reserves and Thirds.
Triple St Kilda City Division 1 premiership coach Richard Houston has been appointed coach.
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“Now that the decision has been made that they’ll be in Division 3, I think it will lift a heavy weight off their shoulders and they can now actively go out and promote Division 3,’’ Hartman said.
He said the club had put in a strong and stable new administration headed by Davis and co-president Chris Sephton.
The league will soon release revised fixtures for Division 1, 2 and 3, with Oakleigh
Districts replacing Doveton Eagles in the top grade, Heatherton replacing Oakleigh Districts in Division 2 and the Eagles replacing Heatherton in Division 3.
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