Weekly Times | OUYEN United representatives will look at several pathways to achieve its goal to play in the Sunraysia league next season.
Last week the preliminary recommendations from the north west structural review, which began last year, were released which advised that the Mallee Football League disband at the end of this season.
The recommendations also laid out the suggested path for the league’s remaining five clubs — Ouyen United, Walpeup-Underbool, Sea Lake Nandaly, Woomelang Lascelles, and Southern Mallee Giants — involving mergers and moves to nearby competitions.
Ouyen United was advised to merge with Walpeup-Underbool and join the Sunraysia Football League for next season.
Ouyen United president Jarrod Munro said the recommendation was discussed at a committee meeting on Tuesday night.
He said the club’s “vision” was to play in the Sunraysia competition next year and it would look at all possibilities to reach that goal.
That included discussing the recommended merger with Walpeup-Underbool representatives, but also discuss merging with other clubs in the neighbouring area — he would not specify which clubs.
He also believed there was potential for the club to join the Sunraysia league as a stand-alone side.
Munro said the club was grateful the review panel had supported its intention to join the northern league, but they did not agree with all of the panel’s recommendations.
“It’s indicated that we amalgamate, Walpeup-Underbool and Ouyen United, and move to Sunraysia,” he said.
“We see that as one of the many options, so for them to be telling us it’s what we need to be doing is a great recommendation from them but that’s what we see it as — as a recommendation.”
Ouyen United representatives met with the Sunraysia board last year on what Munro called a “fact finding mission on where Sunraysia was at”, and the club did the same in 2007.
“It’s definitely not new on the cards,” he said.
“(We knew) This day would come one day and we wanted to make sure we were not too far behind the Eight ball and semi-prepared for when this did happen.”
The clubs have until the end of this month to submit feedback on the proposals. Munro said they would see how the idea of the merger sat with the two clubs and provide information back to the panel regarding it.
Woomelang Lascelles will meet on Friday night to discuss the recommendation for its club to merge with Sea Lake Nandaly.
