Eagles push for new league grounded

Penola Football & Netball Club vote to stay in Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara competition

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the six current Western Border Football League and Western Border Netball Association clubs with the Penola Football & Netball Club voting narrowly to stay in the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara competition for the 2024 season.

Only a handful of votes denied the Eagles the mandate to leave the northern football-netball competition and be part of a newly formed league involving the current Western Border clubs.

Needing 67 percent of the membership to vote yes, the no vote prevailed with only a handful of votes determining the final decision to remain in the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara competition.

Concerns over the club’s ability to compete financially, and therefore on the field, at senior football level, with many of the northern based clubs, issues with the structure of the netball competition and consistency of game day opportunities and the ongoing viability of all junior competitions, football and netball, spurred the Penola Football & Netball Club executive to serious investigate the opportunity to be a foundation club in a new competition in 2024.

SANFL Head of Community Football Shawn Ford admitted the no vote was a setback but that work on the 2024 restructure would be ongoing and a solution found. “It’s another part of the process and that process will now continue to find a sustainable outcome for the future,” Ford said. “There is a lot of emotion out in the community.”

The community football chief now faces the task of leading the next steps in the process with the pressure of a ticking clock ever present.

“We will reconvene the working group as a matter of urgency,” he said, with those meetings to plot a new path forward returning to the in-confidence format of the past few months.

“It will be done as a matter of urgency – we understand the time constraints. We know time is working against us. We understand people want answers.”

Ford was at pains to point out that no decision had been made on the next steps for the new look 2024 for the current Western Border clubs and that there were still a variety of options on the table.

“It is not just a matter of throwing two leagues together and waltzing out of town,” he said, referring to the original proposal of a Mid South East and Western Border merger. “That is no certainty to go ahead whatsoever – there is now a myriad of conversations to be had.

No decisions have been made. “The Penola option was a good one in our eyes but unfortunately it didn’t get up. It is back to the drawing board. The Penola vote certainly showed the level of interest for change within the region.”

“It is not just Western Border clubs putting their hands up to explore other options which is a great sign – there is other interest around the region.”

“It’s not all doom and gloom – we are still working to get the best outcome for football and netball in the region.”

Ford was also full of gratitude for the work Penola football president Matt Tilby and netball president Sophie Schulz and their hard working committee and club leaders had put in to build a case for the move and what it would have meant for the Eagles going forward.

“We have to acknowledge the work Penola put in behind the scenes – it was unbelievably thorough and they have been extremely well led through this process. We can’t speak highly enough of the work they have done, they’ve been brilliant,” Ford said. “We want to thank them got having the courage to explore what their future looks like.

“Penola now needs to take stock and get their members back together.”

Asked if there was a doomsday possibiity with some clubs having no competition in which to play, he was categoric that no club would be left without a home in 2024.