AFLCV proposes huge shake-up with potential new league in 2024

The AFLCV commission on Friday afternoon sent a memo to all clubs in the Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley leagues seeking feedback on the concept of a new senior football-netball competition in the region.

The memo follows last Sunday's meeting where the AFLCV commission invited all 28 clubs from the three leagues to La Trobe University to discuss the region's future structure.

In the memo to the clubs AFLCV says the new competition is "being considered to support clubs who feel that the league they are currently competing in is not aligned to their short and long-term goals".

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While still in its infancy, the memo proposes two potential models for a new competition.

The first is a new stand-alone competition that could be played, for example, under the banner of the Central Victorian Football League.

The second model suggested could be a division two of the Bendigo Football Netball League with a promotion and relegation system.

AFLCV states in the memo that the BFNL, HDFNL and LVFNL would all continue to operate, while the intention of any new league being formed would be for it to include senior, reserves and thirds football and both senior and junior netball.

While any new competition being formed would be dependent on clubs leaving the BFNL (10 clubs), HDFNL (nine clubs) or LVFNL (nine clubs), the memo also states, "consistent with feedback received last Sunday, AFL Central Vic would approach clubs currently competing in competitions outside our region to enquire of interest in participating in a new competition."

Should the proposal receive enough support to go ahead and a new competition is established, it would be the most significant football move made in the region since disbandment of the Golden City league in 1982.

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The proposed introduction of a new competition for the region comes at a time when three clubs are actively pursuing a move to the Heathcote District league - Marong and Maiden Gully YCW from the Loddon Valley league and the Cohuna Kangas from the Central Murray league.

"This would be aimed at any club that feels the league they are in currently isn't the right fit for them for whatever reason that may be," AFLCV regional manager Craig Armstead told the Bendigo Advertiser on Friday.

"It could be whether they are a club in the district league that feels it has grown too big in terms of its senior and junior numbers.

"Or it could be clubs currently playing in the Bendigo Football Netball League that at this point in time don't feel like they are able to compete at the level required and therefore are looking for a different competition to play in.

"One of the models is a second division of the Bendigo league with promotion-relegation where it may be a case of a club goes into that competition for a period of time and as it gets momentum and success would earn promotion back into the Bendigo league.

"From our perspective, there was enough encouragement following our meeting last Sunday, and we've subsequently had a number of follow-up calls from clubs this week, where it has got to the point where the commission wants to put this out and see a bit more formally what the level of interest is in would there be enough clubs to form an additional competition?

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"There's a lot of details to be worked through, including netball, to get to that point, but if there is initially enough interest from clubs to say we want you to pursue this and understand more about what it could look like then we will do the work on it."

Armstead said if a new competition was to receive enough support from clubs to be started next year, plans would "need to be reasonably advanced through the course of this month".

"What we've taken out of last weekend is there is a strong appetite for change to occur in the region. What it looks like and how quickly it can happen is still to be confirmed and worked through," Armstead said.

"There's a number of clubs looking to change leagues through this off-season, which indicates they don't feel they are in the right place now, and with the enthusiasm of our clubs last Sunday in terms of how it could look different in the future, we believe there is enough indication for a level of change that is required."

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