FORMER Bendigo Gold chairman Tim Dickson says it will be "odd" watching VFL on the Queen Elizabeth Oval next year.
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The Bendigo Gold folded in August this year after two winless stand-alone seasons in the VFL.
However, AFL Central Victoria this week announced two VFL games will be played on the QEO next year - Geelong v Collingwood on Saturday, May 9, and Essendon v Footscray on Friday, August 21.
"At the end of the day, I think AFL Central Victoria have done what they can to maintain a VFL presence up here," Dickson said on Thursday.
"But having a couple of VFL games doesn't tick the box of the pathway, and that's the problem.
"There's four teams playing up here next year, whereas we had our own Bendigo team playing here every second week.
"I don't want to keep going over it because we're gone, but it's going to be odd watching VFL on the QEO when we're not part of it.
"I'd hate to think that the City of Greater Bendigo is dipping into its pocket to get a VFL presence on the QEO next year because they never really did much to retain it."
City of Greater Bendigo manager of active and healthy communities Pat Jess said the council hadn't been involved financially in attracting the two games.
"From my understanding it has been led by AFL Victoria to keep VFL football alive in Bendigo to an extent," Jess said.
"It's something we welcome because we want the highest level of football played in Bendigo and we'll continue to support that.
"But there certainly hasn't been any financial contribution to it."
