VICTORIAN Country Football League north-west regional manager Bruce Petering plans to host an end of season meeting with representatives of the Wimmera's four football leagues. Petering plans to convene discussions between Wimmera Football League, Horsham District Football League, North Central Football League and Mallee Football League about the future of the game. Petering said there would be a number of areas the leagues needed to discuss including ways for teams to `work together' in the future. "It would make sense for clubs to find ways to work together," he said. "If two clubs came together and found ways to work together we would support them. "But people are often scared to have these discussions because of what they might lose." The meeting comes after calls in the Wimmera Mail-Times from a number of clubs and officials for a review of the current structures of the leagues. But he said the VCFL would not instigate any changes in the leagues. "If they sit down and decided there is a better way to do it then we will manage the competitions," he said. "But we won't instigate any changes. That is their decision." Petering said he believed item number one would be the future structure of football in the Wimmera. "Back when country football was divided into regions the leagues used to meet regularly but they haven't for a while," he said. "So it is probably time to get together. There are also a number of other matters which need to be discussed as well." But Petering dismissed any need for an official review by the VCFL. "No club has come to us saying there are any problems," he said. "The clubs which have been mentioned as `struggling' have not had any contact with us. Some of those clubs told us they have good finances and a strong future ahead of them. "Some of these problems have just been `paper talk'." Petering admitted the current structure of the leagues did have some problems. "There are only so many players," he said. "If you look down through the years plenty of teams have come and gone. When a club dies it is not the end of the earth, the players who want to keep playing just go somewhere else. "At the end of the day a club's future will be decided by what decisions it makes."
Last Modified on 14/04/2010 19:00