King Print LPFL chairman Shane Anwyl yesterday said the league's member clubs would have until the end of the month to comment on a Victorian Country Football League report that recommends the dis-bandment of the
league at the end of this season.
The VCFL report, released on Monday, backs a proposal for Natte-Bealiba and Navarre to join the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League, the Ararat Eagles to move to the Mininera league and the remaining five
LPFL clubs to enter a two division Central Highlands competition.
Anwyl said the league's next club delegates' meeting, on July 19, would be an open forum on the VCFL recommendations but he insisted delaying any decision beyond August would be counter-productive.
"The sooner a decision is made, the better, allowing for the discussions and feedback that we need to have," Anwyl said.
"We are getting towards the second half of the season, so there is a lot of work that will need to be done.
"The sooner we can say to the clubs this will happen, the better it is for the clubs, so they can prepare for life in their new competitions.
"Therefore we would want to have a final decision (in August)."
Anwyl said the VCFL report was a sensible solution to the imminent departure of the Ararat Eagles and Natte-Bealibe from the LPFL, after the MCDFL clubs previously rejected a proposed Goldfields Super League stretching
from Dunolly in the north to Rokewood-Corindhap in the south.
He said the LPFL board's position would, however, reflect the views of its eight clubs.
"We want to make sure clubs hear our point of view as well," Anwyl said.
"We will take on board the overall club feeling and that will form the basis of our comment as a league to the VCFL.
"We are not particularly surprised by what has been recommended by the VCFL. The basis of the review is common sense, and that's not always what has been the case in the past in terms of structuring leagues.
"In the past it has sometimes been about what has been the best fit at the time.
"This has been about what is the best fit for the long term future, and that's what we're excited about.
"The Goldfields Super League proposal was what we put forward as a league originally, and that had support from our clubs but there was less support from the MCDFL. What came out in the review looks like our best option
now."
"Leagues come and go but it is the clubs that have to survive into the future."
GAVIN MCGRATH - Ballarat Courier
07 Jul, 2010 09:45 AM