Ballarat league clubsto vote on Gisborne's entry

BALLARAT Football Netball League clubs will meet on 30 June to vote whether they will accept Gisborne’s bid for entry into the senior competition in 2027.

The vote comes less than 12 months after the clubs overwhelmingly endorsed the Bulldogs’ bid to join the Ballarat league in time for the 2026 season.

That vote was won 46-4.

The move was eventually blocked by the Bendigo Football Netball League, which won its appeal to AFL Victoria.

Forced to stay put in the Bendigo league, Gisborne is enjoying a successful season to date, with its senior football team currently second on the ladder at 7-2, a win behind top side Strathfieldsaye and level on wins with Sandhurst (third) and South Bendigo (fourth).

The Bulldogs’ A-grade netball team sits third behind Kangaroo Flat and Sandhurst, with their other three senior teams all in the top three, including top-of-the-ladder B-grade.

Following a significant change in composition of the Bendigo league board, with five fresh faces elected to the nine-member panel in January this year, it is understood there has been a softening in the league’s stance towards a Gisborne move.

Two clubs from the neighbouring Loddon Valley league – Marong and Maiden Gully YCW – are actively exploring a transition to the Bendigo league to accommodate their rapid population and junior program growth, while rumours have linked several clubs to the north, including Echuca, Moama and Rochester to possible moves as well.

Gisborne has established itself as a perennial netball powerhouse in the Bendigo league.

Marong Football Netball Club was due to vote on a potential application to enter the BFNL in 2027 this week.

For Gisborne’s bid to be accepted by the Ballarat league, it will again need at least two-thirds support from member clubs.

Citing a better alignment with competitors, Gisborne believes its geographic proximity to Ballarat league clubs makes the league a better fit.

Sunbury, Melton, Darley and Bacchus Marsh are all within 30 minutes of Gisborne, while the club’s closest Bendigo league rivals Castlemaine and Broadford are 50 minutes away.

Bulldogs club members overwhelmingly voted to pursue the move at a special meeting in April this year.

A 90 per cent margin included 129 yes and nine no votes, with five abstaining.

Gisborne’s potential entry would boost the number of Ballarat league clubs to 11, creating an uneven draw.