GREAT Western Football Club will remain in Horsham District Football League.
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Victorian Country Football League officials handed down the decision on the club's unsuccessful appeal to transfer into the Mininera and District Football League on Friday evening.
Great Western spokesman Dale Hurley slammed the VCFL for the decision.
A VCFL board member rang Mr Hurley on Friday, 20 minutes before the decision deadline, to inform him the appeal had been unsuccessful because the VCFL 'didn't want to force change'.
Mr Hurley said the club was expecting to receive official correspondence from the VCFL today.
"It's just staggering that a ruling body can make a decision like that," Mr Hurley said.
"It lacks leadership, courage and foresight.
"Three or four months ago the same body decided to shut down a whole league, and now they say they don't want to force change.
"They had their reasons why they needed to force that change, but so did we as a club."
Mr Hurley said he was concerned the decision could affect the long-term viability of Great Western Football Netball Club.
"I hope it is not as dire as that, but that is our fear," he said.
"That's why we explored this option."
Mr Hurley said club members were shocked by the decision.
"The general consensus is disappointment," he said.
"Ninety-two per cent of our members voted to transfer into the Mininera and District Football League, so it's easy to understand the frustration.''
Mr Hurley said the club's playing group would meet on Thursday night to prepare for the coming HDFL season.
He said the club would now turn its attention to player retention.
"Results from a survey of the entire playing group found we'd lose 19 players if we remained in the Horsham District league," he said.
"The task now will be to find out who these players are and convince them to stay, or find replacements."
Horsham District Football League chairman Graeme King said the league was pleased to retain Great Western.
"We are certainly happy to see them staying," Mr King said.
"We never wanted to see them go, it was a club decision to try to move."
VCFL area manager Bruce Petering said VCFL rules would restrict Great Western from submitting a similar transfer application for the next two seasons.
