Murray: Moama switch to Bendigo or GV won’t be blocked

AFL Victoria has confirmed changes to rules around clubs transferring leagues is being investigated.

The Murray Football-Netball League won’t be standing in Moama’s way of joining either the Bendigo or Goulburn Valley league.

Moama is on a fact-finding mission on the best fit for the club with junior player retention the main driver in exploring a move from the Murray league, which remains committed to its under-17 and under-14 age groups.

Bendigo and Goulburn Valley have under-18s only with Moama officials to meet with Bendigo clubs next month.

Murray league general manager Dale Norman said he supported Moama’s approach despite the possibility of losing a strong club which had one year to run on a long-term deal to host its grand final.

“I’m happy for clubs to be openly discussing where they’re going to be in five years time,” he said.

“They’ve got to do what is right for them.

“All leagues and clubs should be doing the same thing.”

Murray Football-Netball League general manager Dale Norman.

He said junior age groups were regularly discussed, but “the current structure is working for a lot of the rural towns at the moment”.

Movement of clubs has been a major issue all year.

Ultima was recently being denied entry into the Central Murray league from the Golden Rivers league.

The Bendigo league will have eight clubs next year after Maryborough went into recess after being knocked back by the Maryborough-Castlemaine and Central Highlands leagues.

AFL Victoria community football manager John O’Donohue confirmed changes to rules around clubs transferring leagues was being investigated.

“We are looking at how we can do things better,” he said.

“It’s got to be a strategic view of why clubs want to move and what are the consequences of such a move.

“One thing we’ve learnt is you’ve got to bring everyone along for the ride.

“I would have thought the window (to change leagues) needs to be brought forward in the calendar so you are not dealing with them potentially in December or in finals.”

Moama hosted this year’s Murray league grand final when Congupna beat Finley by one point. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

The transfer window opens August 1 and closes October 31 presently.

Meanwhile, the Gippsland league is still looking at setting up a new league in the region.

“We still think a divisional structure is a good long-term set up,” league chairman Andrew Livingstone said.

“But we’re not going to rush into it.

“We’ve collected a lot of data from clubs, not just from our league, but other local leagues.

“We’ve always said we wouldn’t start anything unless we had six clubs.”

Newborough, Yinnar and Morwell East were denied entry to the North Gippsland league this year.