Bendigo: Maryborough on field woes add to list of concerns

Successive huge losses by Maryborough have put the spotlight on the Bendigo Football League and what can be done to revive the former powerhouse competition.

The Bendigo league has been rocked by a disastrous opening month of the season that followed major turmoil off-field over summer.

Maryborough’s back-to-back thrashings in seniors and successive forfeits at reserves level have sparked fears it could be the next team to follow Kyneton’s lead and leave.

The region’s major league suffered a major exodus of top-line talent in the off-season and it's A grade netball competition has only eight teams with Maryborough not playing this year.

It’s still in the market for a general manager following Cameron Tomlins’ promotion to AFL Central Victoria regional manager on the eve of the season.

And it also failed to get support from the now defunct AFLCV Commission for Maiden Gully-YCW to start an under-18s team as a stepping stone towards the whole club moving into the league.

Former Bendigo league president Jock Clark. Picture: Zoe Phillips

The Bendigo league’s relationship with the former commission led by Nicholas Rolfe was fractured beyond repair and with no replacement overarching body in place there are concerns big changes needed will be pushed back to 2026.

‘It’s tragic what’s happening,” former BFNL president Jock Clark said.

“The whole thing needs a restructure.

“As a matter of urgency you would be looking to bring Maiden Gully-YCW in and you’d be mad not to put an offer on the table for Rochester to come back.

“Gisborne will definitely be gone if something doesn’t happen, Maryborough will go somewhere else and all of a sudden you’re down to seven teams.”

But Gisborne president John Wood doused speculation the club was contemplating a move to the Ballarat league.

“It’s a total furphy,” he said.

“It hasn’t been discussed at committee level, it’s not something that players talk about, it’s not happening.”

Former Sandhurst ruckman Hamish Hosking has joined Birchip-Watchem this season. Picture: SAA Imaging

Following Gisborne’s 258-point thrashing of Maryborough in round three, Sandhurst beat it by a league record 333 points last Saturday.

Maryborough will get a chance to regroup with a bye weekend and remains committed to playing the season out.

Rushed attempts last year to form a second-tier BFNL competition, involving some existing clubs including Maryborough, failed with Kyneton quitting the league.

Kyneton president Hayden Evans said the switch to the Riddell District league saved the club.

“We made a very, very hard decision, I lost friends over it,” he said.

“I understand why clubs can’t make them because it’s just too hard, but you’ve got to have a club.

“We left because the future of was unclear.

“Everything strips back to population.

“Gisborne competes because they’ve got 15,000 people and is a one-club town.

“If you haven’t got the population, the only way to get players is to pay them more.”

Maryborough faces a constant battle for players with Maryborough-District league teams and the newly merged club, Maryborough Giants, haven’t won a match.

Bendigo league chairwoman Carol McKinstry was contacted for comment.