Disappointed Eagles 'in the dark' about why appeal to join HDFNL was denied

MAIDEN Gully YCW's bid to join the Heathcote District Football-Netball League next year has been denied by AFL Central Victoria.

The Eagles have been seeking a move next season from the Loddon Valley Football-Netball League to the HDFNL, but will have to stay put in 2023.

Having initially had their transfer request denied by the LVFNL just over a month ago, the Eagles - whose key reason for wanting to move is based around providing greater opportunities for their junior footballers and netballers - lodged an appeal with AFLCV that was heard on Monday night.

The AFLCV commission has denied the Eagles' request to change leagues, citing "insufficient merit", but not elaborating any further on the reasons for its decision much to the bitter disappointment of both Maiden Gully YCW and the HDFNL.

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Also a source of frustration for the Eagles was not being given the opportunity to present their case to the AFLCV commission in person, with the appeal based on written submissions from each of Maiden Gully YCW, the HDFNL and LVFNL.

"All we've got (from AFLCV) is the wording out of the AFL Victoria handbook and that is there is insufficient merit in our application," Maiden Gully YCW president Chris Garlick said on Wednesday.

"When I have asked for some expansion of what insufficient merit means we have been emailed stating the panel doesn't have to give any reason for its decision, so we are 110 per cent in the dark as to why our application was rejected.

"We requested that we be given the opportunity and decency to present our appeal in person, but that was declined and all submissions had to be written."

Following Monday night's unsuccessful appeal, Maiden Gully YCW is to meet tonight to discuss the situation.

"The meeting is going to be interesting," Garlick said.

"We have a significant number of committee members who have kids that will be playing in netball grades next year that just have too many byes in it.

"We do stand to lose an integral part of our committee as well as not having players want to come to a competition that has clubs not fielding full quotas of teams, thus creating additional byes."

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As well as having just a four-team under-18 football competition this year, the LVFNL didn't have a full quota of teams in its 13-under, 15-under and 17-under junior netball grades, as well as A grade.

"We've been following the direction provided by the AFLCV commission for 10 years in that when we combined with Quarry Hill under-10s and under-14s that was the start of creating a complete pathway through to our senior football," Garlick said.

"And on our netball side, we established sides in the Golden City and Bendigo-Strathdale competitions, all again about creating junior pathways right through to our senior teams in accordance with the direction and support that was provided by AFL Central Victoria.

"It's very hard to see that when the commission says it doesn't have the power to enforce change and it frustrates them, we need to understand their relevance that they are given the opportunity to make change and then ignore it without providing any reasoning at all. All we've got is insufficient merit and those two words are copied straight out of the AFL Victoria handbook."

It has been a whirlwind of emotions for Maiden Gully YCW in recent days.

Monday night's appeal rejection followed a triumphant day on Saturday when the club not only hosted its first LVFNL grand final at Marist College, but also won five netball premierships - A grade, B grade, C grade, C reserve and 17-under.

It is the second time in as many years AFLCV has declined a league transfer from a club after Nullawil had 12 months ago unsuccessfully tried to move from the Golden Rivers league to the North Central league.

"Basically, the commission has decided the reasons for the appeal do not have sufficient merit to support it," AFLCV region manager Craig Armstead said.

Asked to elaborate on "insufficient merit", Armstead answered: "the commission has decided they don't want to provide that.

"One of the AFL Victoria rules states the appeal panel shall not be obliged to give reasons for its decision.

"We spoke about it and the commission has indicated what it wants to provide externally is there wasn't sufficient merit to support the appeal."

Under AFL Victoria rules, Maiden Gully YCW now can not lodge another league transfer application for two years.

However, there is an AFL Victoria clause that can provide clubs with an exemption that could allow the Eagles to reapply next season just as Nullawil has done this year.

"The club (Maiden Gully YCW) will now have to sit down with the Loddon Valley league and work through what that looks like and how they can be supported the best they can for 2023," Armstead said.

"Like we did with Nullawil, we're happy to work with Maiden Gully YCW in regards to the process of seeking an exemption next year to reapply if they wanted to have another attempt."

LVFNL chairman Simon Tuohey said while he was aware of the Eagles' appeal being denied, he too was unsure of the reasons behind the decision other than the reference to "insufficient merit".

"It's obviously disappointing for Maiden Gully YCW, but our clubs decided a few weeks back they didn't want them to go and that's why our clubs voted the way they did to keep them," Tuohey said.

The HDFNL had voted in July that it would accept both Maiden Gully and Marong, which has also expressed an interest in joining the competition, from next year.

"From a league perspective, we're obviously disappointed for the club. They have shown they want to be part of our league and that's why we did our due diligence early on," HDFNL chairman Peter Cole said.

"They have put in a lot of hard work and we feel they would have been a valuable addition to our league.

"On a personal point of view, I find this whole scenario amusing to be honest.

"I've been involved in footy for 40 years and done a lot of tribunals and appeals and not once has it ever been behind closed doors without any parties being present.

"I also find the fact that the commission is in charge of both leagues (HDFNL and LVFNL) a conflict of interest and they couldn't make a decision to move the club from one league to the other because they know the difficulties of the Loddon Valley league and are humstrung.

"In this day and age it has to be an independent tribunal that hasn't got a vested interest because you have to take into consideration Maiden Gully's issues with the Loddon Valley and the Loddon Valley's issues going forward in an independent way.

"I find the way it was presented in which you can't back up your application with words quite comical and all you get back is a line that says insufficient merit."

Armstead firmly believes AFLCV was the right body to hear the appeal.

"This is the exact role of what the scope of the commission is all about," Armstead said.

"It's about looking at what is the best for football and netball in totality in our region.

"If the two leagues are within our geography then that's what the commission should be looking at.

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