HORSHAM District Football Netball League looks set to expand to 12 teams next year after a preliminary report from AFL Victoria Country’s north-west structural review recommended the Southern Mallee Giants join the league.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Giants play in the Mallee Football League, but the review has recommended the league be disbanded after this season and its five remaining teams dispersed to other leagues.
The review also recommended Ouyen United and Walpeup-Underbool merge and join the Sunraysia Football Netball League, and Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers and Woomelang-Lascelles amalgamate to compete in the Central Murray Football Netball League.
The review started in July last year and was run by the AFL Wimmera Mallee, Central Victoria and Central Murray commissions.
It aimed to address uncertainty about the short-term viability of clubs under the current league structures in the region.
The preliminary report was released to clubs in the north-west region at the start of the month and was made public on Monday.
Clubs have until May 29 to submit feedback on the report, which the three commissions will take into consideration before releasing a final report at the end of June.
Southern Mallee Giants president Clayton Shannon said his club welcomed the recommendation to move to the district league.
‘‘That’s realistically our best option going forward, so we’re happy with the outcome,’’ he said.
‘‘We haven’t had any serious discussions with the district league at this stage, but we will now that this has come out, sooner rather than later.’’
Mr Shannon said the club would benefit from a move to the district league because it drew on players from the south.
He said it was good to end uncertainty about the Mallee league’s future after the competition was reduced to five teams this season.
‘‘Five teams just doesn’t work and makes a mockery of country footy as far as I’m concerned,’’ he said.
District league chairman Graeme King said the league was receptive to the Giants joining.
‘‘Their demographic certainly fits with the league because Beulah and Hopetoun are small country towns, like most of our clubs,’’ he said.
‘‘To have 12 teams would give us even numbers and I think it’s a pretty reasonable size for a league.’’
Other recommendations in the preliminary report could affect the district league.
The report suggested on-field player numbers should be reduced to 16 in every grade including seniors next season, with three players on the bench.
It also floated the possibility of the Wimmera Football League and district league being reorganised into a two-tiered promotion-relegation structure before the 2018 season, but did not provide further details.
Mr King said the board would discuss all the report’s recommendations when it met either this week or next week.