IN the wake of Gisborne voting to remain in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football-Netball League, chairman Damian Drum says the league must remain vigilant to the pressures on its country-based clubs created by their extra travel.
Gisborne members voted on Tuesday night to remain in the Bendigo league next year, instead of accepting an offer to join the Ballarat Football League as its 12th club in 2010.
Gisborne is one of four country-based clubs in the BFL, along with Castlemaine, Kyneton and Maryborough.
“We’ve got to be continually vigilant to look after the interests of our travelling clubs,” Drum said yesterday.
“We need to be aware that these clubs need to travel every second week.
“For our clubs based in Bendigo, they effectively travel four times a year, or only three times a year, depending on whether you call Bendigo to Castlemaine a road trip.
“For our country-based clubs that travel every second week, it’s harder for them to get their people to travel to Bendigo to support their team, and they acknowledge they are going to get a less amount of opposition members travel to their home games.
“It’s harder for these clubs to attend league meetings, inter-league training . . . to do all the things that Bendigo clubs take for granted.
“So all I’m saying is we need to be ever vigilant of the extra effort that is needed by our country clubs to be a dynamic member of our league.”
Tuesday night’s vote by the Bulldogs’ members was said to be “reasonably close” by Gisborne president Graeme Love.
About 150 votes were cast in the ballot, with the decision to stay ending three-and-a-half months of uncertainty hanging over the club.
Speaking to The Advertiser after the vote, Ballarat Football League chief executive officer Rod Ward said he was disappointed, but not surprised by the members’ decision to remain with Bendigo.
“I certainly sensed the mood of the members, particularly the playing group, at last week’s information night,” Ward said.
“So while we’re disappointed, I can’t say I’m surprised by it.”
This latest bid was the Ballarat league’s fourth attempt to try to lure Gisborne, having also made approaches in 1998, 1999 and 2003.
“I suppose one of the motivations of having another go at it now is the Ballarat league has never had a really good crack at trying to get Gisborne,” Ward said.
“The league has simply sent off letters before, without putting anything on the table.
“There’s no doubt we well and truly put our best foot forward on this occasion.”
As part of Ballarat’s pitch to Gisborne, it believed the Bulldogs could have been as much as $35,000 better off per year in Ballarat through a mix of travel savings, reduced affiliation fees and increased gates by reforming old rivalries against the likes of Sunbury, Melton, Melton South and Darley.
Gisborne, Sunbury, Melton, Melton South and Darley are all former Riddell District Football League clubs.
Ward says the league has another club interested in joining the competition, however, it’s unlikely that club would be in a position to join until 2012.
“I’m fairly confident that will come to fruition, which is why this will be the last time in the foreseeable future the Ballarat Football League will try to attract Gisborne, because our members certainly want 12 clubs, but there’s no question they would be reluctant to go to 13,” Ward said.
Gisborne will meet South Bendigo in this Saturday’s reserves grand final at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.
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