EDENHOPE-APSLEY Football Netball Club president Carolyn Middleton has confirmed the club will hold a vote on whether or not it should merge with a neighbouring club.
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The club has been in discussions for a number of years on a possible merger, with Border Districts, based out of Frances and Goroke, touted as a possible suitor.
The two clubs discussed merging at the start of the season with the move ultimately unable to go ahead.
Ms Middleton said Edenhope-Apsley held a meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the club’s future. The meeting follows the release of AFL Wimmera-Mallee’s draft recommendations from its report into the future of football and netball in the region.
“It was a very passionate meeting and there was lots of emotion,” she said.
“(AFL Wimmera-Mallee region manager) Bruce Petering came down to help us out with explaining the recent review. There was a lot of talk about a possible merger, about staying in the Horsham District league and also what the players think.
“The consensus is that people don’t want to merge but there was also a feeling that people wanted to go to a vote on a possible merger. A lot of people are over the talks of the merger, we have been talking about it for quite some time now.
“The feeling of the group was that if we go to a vote and have a decisive decision, then we can move forward.”
The decision comes after the Saints were forced to forfeit their reserves clash against Jeparit-Rainbow last weekend.
“The forfeit was unfortunate but the Storm were struggling with numbers too,” Ms Middleton said.
“We only had a couple of top-age under-17s and it wasn’t in their best interest to put them up a grade. It was unfortunate but it was timing with injuries and distance.”
Ms Middleton said the vote would happen at the end of the season with the club’s A Grade netball side and senior football side on track to play finals.
“Coming into finals it’s very distracting and we feel like a decision beforehand is of no benefit,” she said.
“The actual wording of the vote the committee will set next week. If we don’t merge we are happy to stay in the Horsham District league and we are happy to work with the review.”
Border Districts president Darren Walter said his club had not discussed any possible mergers throughout the current season.
“We would still look at options going forward,” he said.
“It won’t happen until the end of the season. If Edenhope-Apsley wants to have serious talks about it we are open to those conversations, but we aren’t searching for anything right now.
“The junior numbers are our biggest problem and it all snow balls from that. It means less families and less volunteers.”
Ms Middleton echoed Mr Walter’s concerns surrounding junior player numbers.
“It’s that decline in the 10-14 age group that is our biggest reduction in numbers over the last five years and the concern is that will filter into seniors,” she said.
“Bruce looked outside our club and said there were clubs in far worse positions than us. We have 311 members this year.
“I think we would be silly not to talk to any club. It’s our geographical position that doesn’t allow us to really merge with any other club because we are so far away.
“I’m quite hopeful and I have a lot of positive people around me and we will keep working hard for country sport.
“If the vote is a no to merge we will certainly be working with the Horsham District league and working to keep football and netball in the region. We won’t be folding, we will keep fighting.”
