Loddon Valley: Maiden Gully-YCW loses 12 points and fined for not fielding junior team

Maiden Gully-YCW has been penalised for not entering a junior team in the Loddon Valley league this season. See the impact ahead of the season.

Maiden Gully-YCW’s senior team has been docked 12 premierships points before the start of the Loddon Valley league season, after not fielding an under-18 team for the third year in succession.

It follows two failed bids by the club in the off-season to start up an under-18 team in the Bendigo league, as a stepping stone towards the entire club switching to the region’s premier competition.

But, Loddon Valley president Simon Tuohey said it was disrespecting the league and the other clubs by not having a team where it is presently affiliated.

“We’ve just had enough of the blatant refusal and disregard towards us,” he said.

“To want to go somewhere else and have a side, but not one here, is the real killer.

“We’ve made a call and I’ve had presidents of other clubs saying ‘good on you’.

“The bottom line is the club is affiliated with the Loddon Valley league and this is what we expect.”

Maiden Gully-YCW is facing another long season in the Loddon Valley league. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

In addition to starting the season minus 12 points – three wins – Maiden Gully-YCW has been fined $10,000 of which $5000 has been suspended for 12 months.

The fine must be paid by the end of the month.

Maiden Gully-YCW seniors won only three matches last year and finished bottom of the ladder.

Club president Chris Garlick said it “obviously disagreed” with the penalties.

“We will have a look at the appeal process and just see what happens from there,” he said.

He declined to comment on why the club wouldn’t field a team in the LVFL under-18s which has five clubs competing this season, Marong, Bridgewater, East Loddon, Inglewood and Pyramid Hill.

Calivil United, Newbridge, Bears Lagoon-Serpentine and Mitiamo have been granted exemptions by the league not to take part.

Maiden Gully-YCW wasn’t granted an exemption because of its publicly stated aims of being able to field a team in the Bendigo league.

It has won only four under-age LVFL premierships in the 39 years it has been in the competition.