South Mornington is the latest club making a bid to join the MPFNL

With junior retention at the forefront, South Mornington is the latest club to lodge its expression of interest to the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League. Here’s why.

South Mornington. Picture: SUPPLIED

Southern league Division 4 frontrunner South Mornington is the latest club wishing to enter the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League.

The Tigers hope to join the MPFNL to retain the juniors who leave for neighbouring senior clubs to avoid the travel required to compete in the SFNL.

“We think geographically it makes sense and our juniors don’t want to travel, so it makes sense from that point of view,” club president Lachlan Bell-Towers said.

Competing in the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League, South Mornington has three under-9s teams and a team in each grade from under-10s through to under-16s.

The under-13s, under-14s, under-15s and under-16s all are currently placed either third or higher on the ladder.

While heavy participation through the junior ranks has been consistent, Bell-Towers suspects up to 80 per cent of junior graduates depart to rival clubs for senior football.

The Tigers have three senior sides competing in the SFNL, with both the seniors and reserves undefeated and atop of their respective ladders.

Bell-Towers is confident his club is in a position to immediately compete in a third division of the MPFNL and if they’re able to retain juniors, will grow rapidly.

“I think it just makes sense for us, it’s where we probably should be, we have gotten our club to a stage now where we’re going to be competitive,” he said.

“If we can get those juniors to stick around, we wouldn’t plan on staying in the third division, that’s for sure.”

South Mornington has four netball teams and is taking the appropriate steps to enhance its program.