THE Bendigo Bank Heathcote District Football League has begun the push to secure a new club to join the competition in 2010.
The HDFL executive met on Monday night where, after considering the views of its clubs, it supported Broadford’s proposed transfer to the Riddell District Football League.
With Broadford set to depart the HDFL, it will leave the league with just eight teams next year.
However, the league is determined to ensure it returns to a nine-team competition for the 2010 season and beyond.
“The HDFL will now begin to seek expressions of interest from clubs within the region that are looking for the challenge of participating in a very competitive and professional district league from season 2010 and beyond,’’ HDFL secretary Trevor Arnel said yesterday.
“The HDFL is a family and community-aware league that supports all of its clubs to assist them to maintain high professional standards and continue to develop in quality and strength.’’
The last club to join the HDFL was Lockington-Bamawm United, which crossed from the Bendigo Football League in 2001.
While the HDFL has supported Broadford’s desire to join the RDFL, its clubs weren’t unanimous, with Heathcote, North Bendigo and White Hills opposing the transfer.
“While we are disappointed with the loss of Broadford from our league, we understand some of the reasons behind their request to transfer to the RDFL and we wish them all the best for their future,’’ Arnel said.
“We hope they continue to develop into a professional club, which is also well respected within the RDFL.’’
With Broadford set to depart, it leaves Heathcote as the most south team in the HDFL.
“The league is now basically between Lockington and Heathcote, so I guess we would be happy to talk to any club within 80km of Bendigo,’’ Arnel said.
“We wouldn’t approach a club unless we had heard some talk they may be looking to shift because there’s no use pushing for a club that doesn’t want to go.’’ Broadford’s push to join the RDFL was unanimously supported by the RDFL clubs earlier this month, but the Roos must still be cleared by AFL Victoria, which appears a formality. The HDFL will hold its annual general meeting next week, where a number of issues centreing around Broadford’s likely departure will be voted on.
Among them will be if clubs are to play 14 or 16 home and away games, and if the league maintains a top five or changes its finals format to a top four.
Also being voted on will be the possibility of the league’s under-17 age group being lifted to either under-17sfr1/2 or under-18.
Meanwhile, 2008 beaten grand finalist Heathcote will have joint coaches next year.
While Alistair Meldrum will stay on as Saints’ coach for a third season, John Harley has been appointed joint-coach.
Harley, 27, will play a mix of defence and midfield and has previously been an assistant coach at Moama, where he won this year’s best and fairest, and Robinvale.
“Time will tell how the dual role goes,’’ Meldrum said.
“But we have similar ideas and we have known each other for ages, and things are going well at this stage.
“We will obviously have to tinker it and manage it come game day, but I’ve seen dual coaches work at other clubs, and there’s no reason why it can’t here.’’ Meldrum continues to recover from the broken left leg he suffered last month playing for Victoria at the Police Games in Melbourne.
He is confident he will be fit to play in the opening round next year.
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