Ivanhoe members deliver a resounding verdict on the club’s future
Ivanhoe members have delivered a clear judgement on where they see the club’s future in a vote to decide between the VAFA and Northern league.
Vic Amateur
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Ivanhoe members have delivered a resounding judgement on the club’s future.
At an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday night, 91 per cent of members voted in favour of the Hoers leaving the Victorian Amateur Football Association for the Northern Football Netball League.
A second vote saw 92 per cent in favour of changing the club’s official name from Ivanhoe Amateur to Ivanhoe Football Club.
The move would see the club end its 89-year association with the VAFA.
Ivanhoe president Peter Rawley said the vote gave the club a clear mandate.
“We had a really strong turnout of Ivanhoe people,” he said.
“There was a significant cross-section of the club was represented – life members, past presidents, committee, coterie and social club members and our current and past players.
“With those results, it gives our committee a really clear understanding of wanting to explore the opportunity to join the Northern Football Netball League.
“We’ve had a long and celebrated history in the VAFA but at this point in time it’s clearly the overwhelming view of those connected to our club that our best opportunity lay in exploring an opportunity with the Northern Football Netball League.”
A move to the NFNL could one day see Ivanhoe renew hostilities against original Heidelberg District league rivals including Heidelberg and Greensborough.
The Hoers were the last HDFL premier, in 1921, before the league was disbanded.
The club would join the Melbourne District Football Association before crossing to the Metropolitan Football League in 1934, which would go on to become the VAFA.
If successful Ivanhoe would become the third club in as many seasons to join the Northern league.
Old Eltham Collegians switched from the VAFA in 2019 and Kinglake returned from the Outer East league this season.
The Hoers will now have to present their case to the NFNL board and member clubs.
Rawley said the VAFA had been professional and supportive as the club explored its options.
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“We’ve been talking to the VAFA over the last couple of years about what we’ve said are a unique set of circumstances for our club and they’ve been very supportive of us working through the process,” he said.
“The process from here is, we’ll set a time with the Northern executive to present to its board and then another presentation to the member clubs.
“From there, if both those areas are ticked off, it will need to be rubber-stamped by AFL Victoria.”
If Ivanhoe is accepted into the NFNL it would give the league its desired 10-10-10 division structure, eliminating the current Division 3 bye.
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