THE Bendigo Football Netball League has been caught off guard by AFL Central Victoria's potential structure changes as early as next year that could involve a second division of the competition.
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The AFL Central Victoria commission last Friday afternoon sent a memo to all 28 clubs in the Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley leagues seeking feedback on the concept of a new senior football and netball competition in the region.
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".
While the commission stressed the BFNL, HDFNL and LVFNL would all continue to operate, two models were suggested, one of which could be a second division of the BFNL with a promotion and relegation system operating.
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.
Last Friday's memo came five days after the commission held a meeting with BFNL, HDFNL and LVFNL clubs at La Trobe University without league officials to discuss the region's future structure.
AFLCV's proposal for a new league, be it a second division of the BFNL or a stand-alone competition, if it goes ahead would be the biggest shake-up to football in the region since the disbandment of the Golden City league in 1982.
The AFLCV commission's proposals will be discussed for the first time by the BFNL board at its monthly meeting on Friday morning.
"We weren't expecting it (last Friday's proposal announcement) because the leagues weren't involved in the meeting," BFNL chair Carol McKinstry said on Wednesday.
"We are aware that we need to look at football in the region and can't just keep going on the same for decades to come, but we haven't even remotely discussed what a division two in the BFNL may look like.
"This is being led by the commission and it looks like there is some urgency in regards to changes being wanted for next year, so perhaps it would have been good to involve us (the leagues) a bit more."
Although it's only at this stage being put on the table for discussion, a complexity of a divisional structure for the BFNL is the competition is both a football and netball league and the contrast in competitiveness between some club's senior football and A grade netball teams.
For instance, Kangaroo Flat's senior football team hasn't played finals since 2009, whereas its A grade netball side since 2014 has played in four grand finals and won two flags.
Golden Square's senior football team has regularly been a force to be reckoned with on the football field playing in all but one finals series since 2005 and winning five flags, while the Bulldogs' A grade netball side dating back to 2019 has won just two of its past 57 games.
Similarly, Strathfieldsaye has been a power on the football field winning four of the past seven premierships, while the Storm's A grade netball team hasn't played finals since 2015.
"We are a football-netball league and our clubs have worked extremely hard to see football and netball equal," McKinstry said.
We are a football-netball league and our clubs have worked extremely hard to see football and netball equal
- Carol McKinstry - BFNL chair
"When we start talking about things like relegation, it's not just about senior football. If you look at some of our clubs, they are really strong in netball, but not in football and the other way around.
"We have a club champion award at the end of the year and I think that would have to be factored into... it couldn't be just based on senior football and I'd be disappointed if the commission was only just looking at football.
"Everyone says that promotion works well in the VAFA (Victorian Amateur Football Association), which have teams go up and down, but the VAFA doesn't have netball.
"As a board we're constantly looking at ways we can improve the league and how we can assist clubs that need it and come Friday when we meet we will look at all this calmly and rationally, and not just from a self-interest point of view because we do want the best for football and netball in the region and understand one of the reasons why the commission was formed was to look at the health and competitiveness of the region.
"We're not against progression at all, but we need to make sure things are done in a considered and appropriate way."
Club-by-club senior football and A grade netball wins since 2014:
CASTLEMAINE
Football: 23 Netball: 26
Total: 49
........................................
EAGLEHAWK
Football: 111 Netball: 54
Total: 165
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GISBORNE
Football: 88 Netball: 117
Total: 205
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GOLDEN SQUARE
Football: 121 Netball: 73
Total: 194
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KANGAROO FLAT
Football: 48 Netball: 120
Total: 168
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KYNETON
Football: 72 Netball: 48
Total: 120
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MARYBOROUGH
Football: 14 Netball: 53
Total: 67
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SANDHURST
Football: 123 Netball: 129
Total: 252
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SOUTH BENDIGO
Football: 61 Netball: 52
Total: 113
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STRATHFIELDSAYE
Football: 142 Netball: 57
Total: 199
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