The Bendigo Football Netball League could have a new side next year with Broadford expressing interest to join the competition.
The BFNL and Broadford both released statements last week confirming there had been talks about the club making the move to the league.
The Kangaroos didn’t field senior football sides this season.
The league said the inclusion of Broadford for the 2025 season aligns with the BFNL’s commitment to enhance the competitive landscape of league and continuously assesses options to expand and strengthen its competitions.
“Exploring new avenues for growth is a key part of our strategic vision,” said league chair Professor Carol McKinstry. “We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to the possibility of seeing Broadford competing in the BFNL from 2025 onwards.
“This is an exciting time for our league, and we believe that such developments will contribute positively to the sporting community in the Bendigo region.”
The league will work closely with existing clubs and Broadford in the coming weeks and said it aims to ensure that any potential transition is seamless and beneficial for all parties involved.
Discussions will focus on logistical considerations, competitive balance, and the overall impact on the league’s structure.
The move is the latest for Broadford.
The club was in the Riddell District Football Netball League until 2019 before it joined the Outer East Football Netball League. It had previously played in the Heathcote league.
Last year the club applied to join the Kyabram District Football Netball League but that was knocked back. The club agreed to put the football side into recess for 2024 following the decision, while the netballers joined the Northern Football Netball League.
Broadford in its statement said that its vision has always been extremely clear.
“We want a long-term sustainable option that safeguards an exciting pathway for our growing juniors, enables exposure to elite networks for players and coaches, grows our supporter base including sponsors, members, volunteers and past personnel, and importantly attracts players that strive to build an exciting brand of community football and netball in a supportive and safe environment,” the statement said.
“After deeply considering our options, there truly is incredible potential for our club to reimagine what the future looks like if we can rise from this challenging situation with the football department and maintain a positive outlook.
“Notwithstanding, the netballers who have done a fantastic job keeping the club alive through proudly competing on our behalf this season in the Northern FNL. We too are proud of their efforts thus far.
“With a few more boxes to tick as a committee to ensure we meet the requirements of a preferred league, currently the Bendigo FNL, including to have a strong player, sponsor and volunteer base behind us, it is crucial we cover all bases first to ensure we are setup as positively and viable as possible to compete. “
