GISBORNE Football Netball Club members have ratified the committee\u2019s decision to leave the Bendigo Football Netball League and join the Ballarat Football Netball League in 2026.<\/p>\n
A vote of club members on Thursday night, August 21, delivered what Bulldogs president Tony Brancatisano declared an \u2018overwhelming\u2019 result in favour of the move.<\/p>\n
The final vote was 193-20, with 11 members recorded as abstaining.<\/p>\n
The thumbs up from Bulldogs members \u2013 many of them current footballers and netballers \u2013 followed the almost unanimous endorsement by Ballarat league clubs at a special meeting the previous week.<\/p>\n
That vote was 46-4.<\/p>\n
Buoyed by the 86 per cent Yes vote, Brancatisano was thrilled to get a second big tick of approval in eight days.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t be happier to have gotten past this stage (the club vote); now we just look to see what Bendigo does in response,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I tell people, this club belongs to the players and members and they\u2019ve voted to go, so they\u2019ve got to let them go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brancatisano praised the support and respect afforded his club by the Ballarat league during the entire process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe presented well \u2013 and that\u2019s not bragging. The biggest thing we did when we presented to Ballarat was to not talk about grand finals, but to talk about our club culture and the bond between the girls and the boys,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are so close the two groups. Our club is not just about senior men\u2019s football, It\u2019s about five netball teams, two women\u2019s (football teams) and three men\u2019s teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of clubs focus on one group of men; our club is not like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the whole group and that\u2019s what our club is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having successfully cleared two major hurdles, the Ballarat league will have until August 30 to lodge the official paperwork for a transfer.<\/p>\n
It will then be up to the Bendigo league to appeal or approve the decision.<\/p>\n
Brancatisano admitted to feeling relieved by the overwhelming result of the vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019ve got this across the line, now we have to keep going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good start.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want it to be a good vote, not just getting over the line and we\u2019ve achieved that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look at the travel; we travel up there (to Bendigo) every second week – other clubs come down here once a year.<\/p>\n
\u201c(In the Ballarat league), we\u2019ll play 12 or so games here in this area and then go five or six games to Ballarat.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bendigo league previously indicated its desire for the Bulldogs to remain put in a statement issued on June 24.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe BFNL board recognises that Gisborne\u2019s club vision and community connections are evolving but given the club\u2019s 20-plus year relationship with the BFNL, we anticipate that Gisborne FNC will remain in the BFNL for 2026,\u201d BFNL chair Carol McKinstry said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould Gisborne FNC submit their intent to transfer, the BFNL board will evaluate the transfer request thoroughly, with consideration for our league and our broader football netball ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GISBORNE Football Netball Club members have ratified the committee\u2019s decision to leave the Bendigo Football Netball League and join the Ballarat Football Netball League in 2026. A vote of club members on Thursday night, August 21, delivered what Bulldogs president Tony Brancatisano declared an \u2018overwhelming\u2019 result in favour of the move. The final vote was […]<\/p>\n