Weekly Times |THE preliminary recommendations from AFL Victoria’s North West Structural Review have received mixed responses from clubs and leagues.
The report, released last week, recommended the Mallee league disband at the end of the season, along with immediate mergers and league shifts for several clubs.
Sea Lake Nandaly president Paul Summerhayes said representatives from his club and Woomelang Lascelles had shown reluctance about the possibility of a merger during an informal meeting.
Summerhayes said the club never discussed moving to the Central Murray league — as the proposed merged club would do — in submissions.
The club had preferred to seek entry into North Central as a stand alone side.
“None of our requirements have been met,” he said.
Woomelang Lascelles president Shane Michael would not comment until after a club meeting last night.
Ouyen United president Jarrod Munro would also not confirm the club’s position on a merger with Walpeup-Underbool until last night’s meeting with members.
The review panel recommends Ouyen United and Walpeup-Underbool merge and join the Sunraysia league next year.
“This is probably the biggest thing to happen to our community ... so it needs to be dealt with properly,” Munro said.
Walpeup-Underbool president Jamie Latta said the suggestion of a merger was not surprising.
Latta was an advocate for the restoration of the Mallee league, but believed a move away from that competition would likely require his club to amalgamate with another club.
Southern Mallee Giants president Clayton Shannon was not surprised with the proposal for the club, the result of a merger last year between Beulah and Hopetoun, to move to the Horsham and District league.
“It was our first preference,” Shannon said. “We’re happy with it (the recommendation).”
The Giants will be the second Mallee league club to move to the Horsham and District league in 12 months, if the recommendation is accepted.
Jeparit-Rainbow left despite a freeze on club movement during the review, on “compassionate grounds”.
Mallee league president Mick Brown said with clubs seeking to leave it was hard to argue for it to be propped up.
“This is inevitable unfortunately, realistic and inevitable. We’ll move forward and hopefully the amalgamations can be very fair to both clubs, it will share the burden of getting teams together,” Brown said.
“It’s not ideal because people don’t like losing their little club, it’s just the grim facts.”
His primary concern for the mergers was for the commission to ensure the clubs shared home games to keep football in the communities and make the changes “more sustainable”.
Another recommendation was for Golden Rivers league side Wakool to merge with Koondrook Barham in the Central Murray league.
Wakool president Blair Flight said his club would be open to amalgamation.
Flight said representatives from the clubs would meet on the proposal, but a decision may not be reached immediately.
“I’ve always believed we would have to merge some day. It may not happen now ... But we may as well have a bit of a look at it now,” he said.
Clubs and leagues have until May 29 to submit feedback on the review.
