Bendigo: Maryborough to seek move to Maryborough-Castlemaine league

Maryborough has endured another tough day on the field as moves to change leagues at the end of 2024 begin to intensify off the ground. Here is what we know.

Bendigo will be the state’s only major league with eight clubs in 2025 after Maryborough settled on exploring a move to either the Maryborough-Castlemaine league or the Central Highlands league.

After another torrid round when Maryborough required six opposition players to ensure its senior match against Kangaroo Flat went ahead last Saturday, Maryborough wants out of its home of 32 years.

It’s still not certain whether Maryborough will be a stand-alone or merged club in 2025.

But an application has been made to join both the Maryborough-Castlemaine league and the Central Highlands.

If successful, Maryborough will be the second club to quit Bendigo in as many seasons.

Kyneton departed last year after an even longer stint in the major competition.

Maryborough has relied on players from three opposition clubs to ensure senior matches went ahead this season. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

This masthead can reveal Maryborough’s preferred choice is to join the Maryborough-Castlemaine league but have applied for the other league just in case.

An application to join the Maryborough-Castlemaine league was spelt out in the latest update to members sent by the club in recent days.

Central Highlands confirmed Maryborough’s movement plans.

“They have, but they are hedging their bets, we are the second choice, they have made that clear,” CHFL administrator Diane Ryan said.

“They’ve been straight up about it, which is fine, but we’re not going to get too excited if they are trying to get into another league first off.”

Ryan said each club had been sent an email asking if it would be happy for Maryborough to join.

The teams have until July 19 to decide.

As part of the constitution all Central Highlands sides get the right to vote in whether a team gets accepted or not.

So a vote of no would make Maryborough’s chances slim.

“If the clubs say no, that’s it,” Ryan said.

“Them and the board have to have a say (in it).”

Maryborough’s future in the Bendigo league was put on the agenda in late May when it told members its “current situation is unsustainable and failure to act will be severely detrimental to the sustainability of the club”.

It coincided with early season defeats of 258, 333 and 184 points, but the crisis has deepened with the club needing players from three opponents to ensure matches went ahead.

Maryborough has also been unable to field a reserves team since round 2 and doesn’t have an A grade netball team this season.

It will have a reprieve this week with a bye for interleague, but has to seek “exceptional circumstances” approval from AFL Victoria to continue asking opposition teams for players.

It’s anticipated departure is a major headache for Bendigo given the absence of ready-made replacement clubs.

Last week it moved to house down “rumours regarding the future of club affiliation” by also declaring Maryborough staying in the league in 2025 “remains a feasible option”.

League chairwoman Carol McKinstry has previously stated it won’t stand in the way of Maryborough if it wanted out.

Under AFL Victoria rules, clubs seeking to transfer leagues initially need the approval of the destination leagues existing member clubs and their existing league must also agree with the transfer request.

The club transfer window opens on August 1.

Maryborough will call a general meeting once “options available to the club in 2025” have been confirmed.