The league hosted its annual meeting at Hopetoun on Monday night.

President Alan Malcolm said all clubs expected to field teams in 2010, although the league might move to 16-man teams.

"We will make a decision on that in our league meeting in February," he said.

"We want to wait and see how sides go with recruiting before we make a decision.

"We have had success with it in our junior ranks; we might need to consider it now in senior footy."

Malcolm stopped short of assuring the competition's survival past 2010.

"No-one has a crystal ball to tell me where we will be in the future," he said.

"There is an ongoing battle to keep playing stocks up because there are just not enough men of the right age to keep playing.

"But all the talk from our clubs about next season has been positive. Most have appointed coaches and are well into player recruitment."

The league was rumoured to be in its final season, a rumour given more ammunition by the spate of high- profile player signings such as Scott Smith and Adam Carter to Beulah and Tim Broadbear and Corey Waldron to Jeparit-Rainbow. Clubs were rumoured to be pulling out all savings to attempt to win the last Mallee League premiership.

Malcolm said he had heard the same rumours but had assured every club that the league would remain for as long as it was viable.

"As long as we have seven teams then we will keep on going," he said.

"We had heard the same pub rumours about our future. But everyone was very positive on Monday night.

"We appointed two new junior vice-presidents, Doug Elliott from Walpeup-Underbool and John Watson from Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers.

"The prospect of a good harvest is one reason why clubs might be spending more on players."

But Malcolm conceded Mallee clubs continued to struggle to keep young players in their communities.

"There just aren't the jobs or opportunities to keep the young men here," he said.