Picola and District League: Clubs still deciding their future

THE future of the Picola and District Football League and its clubs remains undecided less than a week out from the start of the season.

THE future of the Picola and District Football League and its clubs remains undecided less than a week out from the start of the season.

Clubs are still deciding whether to stay in the league, or leave the competition which covers towns in northeast Victoria and NSW in order to stay affiliated to AFL Goulburn Murray and AFL Victoria.

Those decisions will have huge implications of what this year’s football competitions in the area look like.

After the league’s board this week rejected a revised agreement with AFL Goulburn Murray, its 17 clubs were given until 5pm Friday by which to decide where they would play this season.

Their options were stay with the league, or breakaway into a league run by AFL Goulburn Murray and remain affiliated to the AFL.

That deadline has reportedly been extended to Monday.

The question of the league’s affiliation was the hot topic at a club presidents’ meeting on Friday night.

There are now three clubs — Tungamah, Shepparton East and Dookie United — which have confirmed they will break from the Picola league and remain affiliated with AFL Goulburn Murray.

Who and where they will play remains to be seen, with four clubs to decide this weekend which way they will go.

The three breakaway clubs played in the Picola league’s South East division, which had eight clubs. The other five are Katamatite, Katandra, Katunga, Waaia and reigning premier Rennie.

There are nine clubs in the North West division —. Tocumwal, Berrigan, Deniliquin Rovers, Strathmerton, Jerilderie, Blighty, Mathoura, Yarroweyah and Picola United.

One of the clubs considering its options is reigning North West division premier Picola United.

Club president Brad Caldwell said it would be “very difficult to leave at this late stage, given we’re ready to go in two weeks’ time”.

“It’s a very divided committee at the moment on which way we should go,” he said.

“If the members decide that’s what they want then we’ll go for it, but it will be tumultuous.

“At the end of the day we definitely want to be affiliated, but it’s a really tough decision on the committee and members.

“If I was a betting man I’d say we will stay, against our will. We want to be affiliated no matter what.”

He added he would be “pushing from Monday to get this affiliation sorted for 2019”.

Dookie United co-president Luke O’Connor said there were many reasons his club wanted to remain with the AFL.

“I cannot stress enough that I’m extremely disappointed in both parties that it’s got to this point,” he said.

“I feel as if we’ve been backed into a corner at the 11th hour to make a decision.

“I respect the decision other clubs have made, that’s just the decision our club has made that it’s too big a risk to not be affiliated with the AFL.”

Berrigan and Tocumwal, in the North West division, are due to play on Good Friday.