Heathcote District: Marong makes another bid to change leagues

Marong is mounting a last-minute bid to join the Heathcote District league next year. See the latest move in its attempt to shift leagues.

Marong is mounting a last-minute bid to join the Heathcote District league next year.

The Loddon Valley league premiers of the past two seasons have sounded out HDFNL clubs about reconsidering their recent vote against Marong becoming the competition’s 10th team.

The 11th-hour move is contingent on AFL Victoria approving an adjustment to the HDFNL salary cap for 2024 to cater for two additional matches involving Marong.

“We haven’t given up just yet,” Marong president Danny Tyler said.

“We just wrote to clubs basically with a plea asking them to reconsider their vote.

“There has not been another vote yet.

“But there could be once there is finalisation on what the salary cap will be for next year.”

Marong has won the last two flags in the Loddon Valley league, but wants out to play in the Heathcote District league. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

The HDFNL clubs’ rejection of admitting Marong, Maiden Gully-YCW and Cohuna Kangas sparked a war of words between HDFNL chairman Peter Cole and AFL Central Victoria Commission chairman Nicholas Rolfe about which body ultimately had the power to allow clubs to move leagues.

AFL Victoria had approved a salary cap of $106,6000 for the HDFNL next season.

Mt Pleasant president Phil Whiting said he was open to reconsidering the admission of Marong.

“It’s taken a long time to get answers around whether we’d have an even competition, would salary caps be adjusted,” he said.

“If the league and AFL Central Victoria can provide us certainty on the questions we asked, and we are close to getting to that, it can enable us to review our decision.

“When things are uncertain it is easy to say we’ll keep things the same.”

Marong full forward Brandyn Grenfell has kicked more than 100 goals in the past two seasons. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Tyler said it was “very disappointing” when its bid to join the HDFNL was knocked back.

“We had put a lot of hard work into it,” he said.

“We’re just trying to find a positive future for the club on the junior side of things more so than the seniors.

“The Heathcote league is very strong, but it is more about the junior pathways.”

Marong has lost just one match in the past two seasons in the LVFNL which has some clubs without junior teams.

Tyler confirmed premiership coach Linton Jacobs had been reappointed and the bulk of the playing list was re-signed.

“They are all very anxious as well to find out where they are going to be playing next year,” he said.

HDFNL president Peter Cole declined to comment and The Weekly Times also attempted to contact Rolfe for comment.