The Wimmera is set to play an important part in a new project assessing the partnership between football and netball in country Victoria.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The sports' state governing bodies will review the best structures and the possibility of joint initiatives to support regional clubs and football/netball leagues.
Netball Victoria CEO Rosie King said it was an overdue opportunity to look at the bond between the two sports.
"One of the things we've reflected on is that the relationship between footy and netball has been something that has happened organically over decades," she said.
"As it's grown and evolved there hasn't been a point where we've stopped and thought about how to develop in a strategic sense for the betterment of both sports, but also with the view of building sustainable leagues.
"We want to understand what is going well, what's not going well, and what we can jointly agree to improve on."
King was hopeful "stakeholders" of clubs and leagues, including those in Wimmera, would be consulted before the end of the 2019 season.
"Once those consultants are appointed, they will help determine some of the methodologies, but we know that there will be face-to-face meetings, probably workshops," she said.
"Naturally, those people who fit into that structure (football/netball leagues), which is definitely the Wimmera piece, will definitely be consulted."
Netball Victoria approached AFL Victoria with the idea and the bodies signed off on terms of reference on the project, along with Recreation and Sport Victoria, who is providing management framework.
Recommendations are expected to be released in early 2020.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.