AFL Central Victoria plans for new football-netball league put on hold
A new league in the greater Bendigo region won’t be happening. See what the next steps are for clubs considering their immediate futures.
A new league in central Victoria in 2024 has been rejected by clubs contemplating a move from their current competitions.
AFL Central Victoria has confirmed the formation of a new league in the Greater Bendigo region or a second division of the Bendigo league won’t proceed.
It follows a second meeting this week with clubs including Kyneton, Castlemaine, Maryborough, Maiden Gully-YCW and Marong.
Maiden Gully-YCW and Marong will proceed with plans to transfer from their current home in the Loddon Valley league to the Heathcote District league.
Heathcote District clubs will vote on their admission next week with the green light expected from AFL Central Victoria Commission soon after.
But doubt still hangs over the Bendigo league clubs involved in the talks with the commission in recent weeks, which have been conducted at arm’s length of the Bendigo league board.
Kyneton is hosting an “open information session – 2024 and beyond” on Friday night.
Former Geelong star Paul Chapman recently stepped down as coach of Kyneton.
Maryborough has endured another tough season with a 0-16 win-loss record with two rounds remaining.
Castlemaine has won two matches, but recently appointed Goulburn Valley league star and former AFL player Michael Hartley as coach.
The commission released a statement following the meeting with clubs this week.
“The meeting provided further evidence to the commission that there is desire and support for change to the current structure of competitions,” the statement said.
“However, there was unanimous agreement that any change needs to be fully planned and well executed.
“Any change is significant with senior football, senior and junior netball, and junior football
all important considerations.
“Therefore, it is confirmed that there will not be any changes to the senior football-netball competitions for the 2024 season.”
MONDAY AUGUST 14: LEAGUES SIDELINED FROM TALKS
Three Bendigo league clubs whose futures in the competition are up in the air have lost their last round matches by a staggering combined total of 337 points.
Last Saturday’s 125-point thrashings of Maryborough and Castlemaine and an 87-point loss by Kyneton comes in the lead-up to a follow up meeting with AFL Central Victoria Commission about them potentially leaving the Bendigo league as early as this year.
The three clubs, along with Maiden Gully-YCW, Marong and Cohuna Kangas, have been linked to a new stand-alone competition or a Bendigo league division two.
The most recent senior premiership won by Kyneton, Maryborough or Castlemaine was by Castlemaine 23 years ago and Maryborough the previous year.
But, Castlemaine and Maryborough have been anchored at the bottom of ladder for the best part of a decade and Kyneton’s senior team spent one year in recess before returning the following year.
The Bendigo and Heathcote District leagues are upset they have been sidelined from discussions on the future competition structures.
“The BFNL does not support or understand what a second division of the BFNL competition would entail,” league chairwoman Carol McKinstry said.
“However, we are open to finding out more about what is being proposed.
“We are also disappointed at the apparent lack of acknowledgment towards netball in the limited communication, which is considered of equal importance to football by the BFNL.”
The Bendigo league has the most to lose in the current talks.
The departure of Kyneton, Castlemaine and Maryborough would leave it with only seven clubs – one more than the record low six in the late 1970s.
Echuca and Rochester would be obvious targets to replace any clubs that left.
They formerly played in the Bendigo league before both departed for the Goulburn Valley in the early 1970s.
AFLCV Commission chairman Nicholas Rolfe said it was responding to the wishes of clubs to explore other leagues they wanted to play in.
“Clubs will speak a lot more freely if the leagues aren’t involved,” he said.
“This hasn’t been driven by us. It was a request by the clubs.
“If there are only two or three in favour, commonsense tells you nothing is going to happen.
“But I can’t remember when six clubs wanted to leave their various leagues at the one time.
“What every club needs to do is make their club a destination of choice.
“But if you’re competing in a competition where there is little chance to be significantly competitive, you can never make your club a club of choice in that area.”
HEATHCOTE MOVE TALKS ON HOLD
The Heathcote District league has parked talks about three clubs joining its ranks next year.
A meeting between the league’s existing nine clubs with Marong, Maiden Gully-YCW and Cohuna Kangas went ahead on Wednesday night.
But further discussions have been put on hold pending the outcome of AFL Central Victoria’s ability to establish a new competition in the region or a second division of the Bendigo league.
“We’ve put it back on them (AFL Central Victoria) to tell us what is going on,” league president Peter Cole said.
“(Marong, Maiden Gully-YCW and Cohuna Kangas) were all fantastic in the way they conducted themselves and brought forward their case to join our league.
“All our clubs were very receptive.
“Once we’ve got clarity on what is going to happen, we will vote on line.
“We don’t have to meet again.”
Meanwhile, the Bendigo league board is due to meet on Friday.
Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley league officials did not attend a recent meeting of clubs convened by AFL Central Victoria.
EARLIER COVERAGE
Three Bendigo league clubs and three teams wanting to join the Heathcote District league could be the starting point of a new competition in central Victoria next year.
AFL Central Victoria Commission chairman Nicholas Rolfe confirmed follow-up talks would be held with Maryborough, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Marong, Maiden Gully-YCW and Cohuna Kangas about being part of a new stand-alone league or a second division of the Bendigo league.
Castlemaine, Maryborough and Kyneton have struggled to be competitive in the Bendigo league, while Marong and Maiden Gully-YCW want out of the Loddon Valley and Cohuna Kangas also wants to leave the Central Murray.
“Some of the clubs are desperate to move and that is no criticism of the leagues they are presently in,” Rolfe said.
“They just feel at the moment they are not good fits.”
A planned meeting of existing Heathcote clubs with Marong, Maiden Gully-YCW and Cohuna Kangas will go ahead on Wednesday night.
But doubt has been cast on them moving with the announcement a new competition could be created to “support clubs who feel that the league they are currently competing in is not aligned to their short and long-term goals”.
The new competition would consist of seniors, reserves and junior football, and senior and junior netball.
Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley clubs met with AFL Central Victoria late last month.
Heathcote District league president Peter Cole, who didn’t attend the meeting, said his clubs “were all in a bit of shock with what came out” late Friday.
“We were told they would collate the information they got from the clubs and come back to us late in the year or early next year,” he said.
“They told us one thing and then did the complete opposite.”
Loddon Valley president Simon Touhey said he was “glad something is happening”.
“It has probably come with a bit of a rush, but it is about time they put something on the table to talk about,” he said.
The Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley leagues would continue to operate if another competition was formed.
Approaches would be made to clubs outside the region to play in a new competition, with the ideal scenario being nine teams wanting to join.
AFL Central Victoria Commission ultimately decides if a club can move leagues.
Bendigo league president Carol McKinstry was contacted for comment by The Weekly Times.
Meanwhile, Maryborough Castlemaine District Football-Netball League operations manager Shane Anwyl said at this stage no clubs had expressed interest to move away from the competition to the new proposed Central Victoria league.
“We don’t believe that any Maryborough clubs would be looking to move,” he said.
“The Maryborough competition is going okay at the moment despite some ups and downs with scores.
“It’s got a good future.”
Anwyl revealed if clubs were willing to move they did have until October 31.
“The Central Victoria proposal is a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment,” he said.
“They are throwing it out there to see what interest they can get.”
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