Tara Murray
Kyneton could be on the move to the Riddell District Football Netball League for next season.
Having moved their juniors and women’s program to the competition this season, the Tigers have now informed the RDFNL of its intentions to move its senior men’s football and netball across as well.
In a statement, Kyneton president Hayden Evans said after careful consideration that committee has have unanimously decided to submit an application to Bendigo Football Netball League to leave the league and join the RDFNL.
“We’re hoping this move provides a sustainable future for our club, fair and equitable competition, and an enhanced experience for all our players of which a significant majority have indicated their preference to move to RDFNL,” he said.
Evans said they issued a survey to the players with 84 per cent responding and 86 per cent said yes to moving to the RDFNL.
Only seven per cent said no.
The ability to compete, financial burden, player retention and numbers, community feedback and career pathways, RDFNL culture and governance and a one club theme are among the reasons for the decision.
“We believe that this move will provide us with an opportunity to be a sustainable club with strong
and committed players who are desperate for a change sooner rather than later, who have made
their views very clear through the survey,” Evans said. “By making this decision now, it will remove any
uncertainty and anxiousness and will create shared clarity of the long term vision for our players
as we embark on recruitment in the coming months and reduce the unnecessary drain on club
finances for 2024.
RDFNL chief executive Jordan Doyle confirmed the league had been approached by Kyneton to move the rest of the club across.
“They notified us on Friday they wanted to join the competition in 2024,” he said.
“They had a committee meeting on Thursday night which the committee voted and then informed AFL Victoria, AFL Central Vic and us.
“We then let the clubs know.”
Doyle said the decision to move the senior program was only recent and came after AFL Central Vic announced they were reviewing the leagues in the region, which the RDFNL isn’t part of.
Doyle said feedback he had heard was that the Kyneton players were keen to come across.
“We started the conversation with Kyneton as they have good knowledge of the league with their juniors and senior women’s teams in the competition.
“They are a natural fit with the geographics and are close to Woodend-Hesket and Macedon and there rest of the competition.
“The pathway is through the leagues with the junior teams.”
Having lost four teams in the past 10 years to other competitions said it was nice to have an established team want to join the competition.
He said that they believed that Kyneton fitted in perfectly and it was a no brainer for them to join the competition.
The RDFNL clubs still have to vote to accept Kyneton into the competition, with Doyle saying there had been positive reaction from the clubs so far.
AFL Central Vic has the opportunity to refuse the move and the process still has to go through AFL Victoria to make sure it’s the best move for all parties.
While the Tigers could have senior men’s football and netball teams, Gisborne Giants are set to be a year away.
The club has under-19 netball and football this season and the plan had been for them to have all senior teams in 2024.
Doyle said that wouldn’t be the case.
“The original plan was for 2024 but unfortunately the delay with the new Gisborne facility was the straw that broke the camels back.
“We’re disappointed about. The club will continue to doo the work for another 12 months and hopefully get it up.”
