Gisborne votes to leave BFNL

Updated November 7 2012 - 12:29am, first published August 19 2009 - 11:32am

THE committee of the Gisborne Football-Netball Club has signalled its intentions to leave the Bendigo Football League.The Bulldogs’ committee voted on Tuesday night in favour of ending the club’s 10 years in the Bendigo league and becoming the Ballarat Football League’s 12th club next year.It’s understood the Gisborne committee voted 7-3 in favour of a move to Ballarat.But while the committee has voted to leave Bendigo and join Ballarat, a number of boxes must still be ticked for the Bulldogs to change leagues.Firstly, the club’s members must vote in favour of the committee’s recommendation, with that vote to be held on September 15.Should the members support a move, the Bulldogs’ clearance application must then be supported by the Bendigo Football League. However, if that is unsuccessful, the club would then need to appeal to the VCFL.If an appeal to the VCFL is required, it must be lodged by October 31.Asked the key reasons behind the committee’s decision to seek a move and leave Bendigo, Gisborne president Graeme Love yesterday answered: “Just overall the committee decided it was better off in the Ballarat Football League.“Obviously, travel is a factor and the supposedly better attendances we will get.“There’s no disputing our crowds have dropped off this year. If I knew the reason I would fix it, but I don’t know what to put it down to.”If the Bulldogs do move to Ballarat next year, they would be grouped among the league’s eastern bloc clubs that also include the neighbouring Sunbury, Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Melton South and Darley.Like Gisborne, Sunbury, Melton, Melton South and Darley are also all former Riddell District Football League clubs.A likely fixture would have Gisborne playing the five rival eastern bloc clubs twice, and playing the six Ballarat-based clubs once.“But there’s a lot more water to go under the bridge yet before any move is a done deal,” Love said.“At the moment, I’m more worried about making sure we win this Saturday against Strathfieldsaye and hang on to third position (in the seniors).“Then come Sunday, I will sit down and worry about what we have to do to ensure the members are informed of what’s going on.”The Ballarat Football League announced its plans to try to lure Gisborne as its newest club for 2010 earlier this year on May 30, a week after it was upstaged by Bendigo in the inter-league clash.As part of the league’s pitch to Gisborne, it believes the Bulldogs could be as much as $35,000 better off per year in Ballarat through a mix of travel savings, reduced affiliation fees and increased gates.This is the fourth time Ballarat has made a play at trying to lure Gisborne, with its three previous attempts quickly rejected by the Bulldogs.Gisborne joined the Bendigo Football League in 2000 from the RDFL.The Bulldogs have been a power of the Bendigo league in their 10 seasons in the competition, with their senior side having contested all six grand finals between 2002 and 2007, winning four premierships.Gisborne will have all three of its football teams contest this year’s finals, as well as two netball teams.Should Gisborne leave next season, the Bendigo Football League would be reduced to a nine-club competition, having only this year lifted its numbers to 10 with the inception of the newly formed Strathfieldsaye Storm.

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