The club has had its application to move from the Mallee league to the Horsham District league approved by the AFL Wimmera Mallee Commission on compassionate grounds.

The Lakers will now await the outcome of a vote at the Horsham District league annual general meeting on December 10.

The AFL Wimmera Mallee commission said in July this year that no clubs would be permitted to change leagues until its review was completed and recommendations announced for implementation in 2016.

However, Jeparit-Rainbow would have been unable to field a senior football team in the Mallee Football League next season.

There were also doubts about the short-term survival of the club if it remained in the league.

AFL Wimmera Mallee region general manager Bruce Petering said the decision had to be made.

"I think at times the club was underselling the direness of their predicament," he said.

"They were trying to paint a better picture than what they actually had."

Mr Petering said the move, if voted in by the Horsham District league, would be a major boost for the Lakers.

"We've had to look at the strength of the football club in the short term," he said.

"Partcipation is vitally important.

"The only way of keeping them viable in the short term was to move them southwards."

Mr Petering said much of Jeparit-Rainbow's player base came from south of the two towns.

"They move southwards for everything apart from football and that's had a huge impact over time," he said.

Horsham District Football Netball League chairman Graeme King said he believed Jeparit-Rainbow joining the league would be a positive move for both parties.

"I think in this day and age, it's a positive to have a bigger number of members than a lesser number," he said.

"If we've got bigger numbers it helps the viability of our own competition.

"They're a small regional town, which is basically what our competition is built around.

"They fit in well with what we have existing."

Mr King said if Jeparit-Rainbow's application was approved, the league would need to look at a fixture restructure.

"Eleven teams would obviously create a small amount of 'luck of the draw' - some teams would play each others twice and others once," he said.

Jeparit-Rainbow's departure from the Mallee league would leave the competition with just five sides.

Mr Petering said the topic was met with a long discussion at the Mallee league's annual general meeting on Monday night.

"A five-team competition is not ideal, but we've been told the remaining five clubs will be strong and it should be competitive this season," he said.

Ouyen United, Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers, Walpeup-Underbool, Woomelang-Lascelles and Southern Mallee Giants - created by the merger of Beulah and Hopetoun last month - are the remaining Mallee league clubs.

An AFL Wimmera Mallee Commission statement said the remaining Mallee league clubs would not be able to leave the competition for other leagues in 2015.

Jeparit-Rainbow president Brett Fisher was not available for comment before the Mail-Times ​went to print on Tuesday afternoon.