By Sports Desk
Five leagues will come together as one to discuss the growth of football throughout the South East region on Monday night as the date rapidly closes in for clubs to submit Expressions of Interest to join the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League (MPFNL).
While Narre Warren, Pakenham – and now Cranbourne – have confirmed their interest in joining the MPFNL from 2024, a meeting will take place between Outer East, Eastern, Southern, VAFA and the MPFNL to discuss the growth of the game moving forward.
Outer East CEO Brett Connell said the meeting was designed to provide a positive platform for the future.
Narre Warren and Pakenham are both currently Outer East clubs, looking to move to the MPFNL, while Cranbourne is currently in the Southern league.
“It’s about coming together to talk about growing the game, and what we do going forward, as opposed to acquiring clubs and cannibalising one-another, and talk about having a strategic approach collectively,” Connell said.
“Our view of the world is, we’ve got a meeting in a couple of weeks with all competitions to talk to AFL Victoria about growing the game organically, like growing junior clubs into senior clubs like Berwick Springs.
“Let’s do some exciting stuff, and build some brand new senior footy clubs.
“We don’t have animosity about what’s taking place, and we talk to AFL South East, who does the Peninsula.
“We talk to Eastern, the Amateurs, we talk to all those competitions regularly and there are great relationships there.
“We just want to continue to build on them.”
Narre Warren and Pakenham have made intentions known in recent weeks, while reigning Southern Football Netball (SFNL) Division One premier Cranbourne has now confirmed that it will lodge an expression of interest to join the MPFNL in 2024.
It will be the third time Cranbourne has attempted to enter the competition, but there is a sentiment from some that MPFNL member clubs remain apprehensive about their inclusion.
Others at the club are more optimistic, pointing out that the interest to join the league appears to be more widespread this time around.
If a larger number of clubs express interest, that would enable the league to potentially immediately introduce a third division.
“The reasoning hasn’t changed from the previous three occasions,” said Cranbourne President Terry Gleeson.
“Geographically, we fall into a lot of areas including that league.
“Our juniors are now playing in the Frankston District Junior Football League and South East Junior Football League competition against MPFNL member clubs.
“We also want to expand our netball.
“Playing netball at our home ground would allow us to do that.”
The club has been transparent with the SFNL through the entire process.
Expressions of interest must be lodged by Friday 14 July before the applications are presented to MPFNL club presidents for a final decision on entry.
Meanwhile, rumours have been circulating recently that four clubs from the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) have been assessing their options and potentially moving away from the league.
Star News contacted the four presidents, Bunyip’s Noel Mollison, Dalyston’s Andy Thomas, Kilcunda-Bass president Shae Eden and Korumburra-Bena’s Ken Myors, with all showing 100-percent commitment to the WGFNC moving forward.
“Yes, we’re struggling at the moment, but our plan is to rebuild and forge a long future in the West Gippsland league,” said Bunyip president Mollison.
“Whenever any club is struggling, these rumours start to flow, but West Gippsland is definitely our Plan A.”
Thomas said Dalyston was equally as committed to the WGFNC as Bunyip.
“I don’t know where these rumours start from, but we’re not going anywhere,” Thomas said.
“I think there’s inevitability that years down the track, something will change with the composition of the leagues, but we’re committed to West Gippsland and we’re not going anywhere.
“That discussion about the future needs to be driven from up the line.”
Eden was steadfast with his comments when asked about the rumour.
“First I’ve heard of it, it hasn’t even mentioned at our club,” he said.
Myors, like Mollison at Bunyip, was keen to put the rumours to bed.
Korumburra-Bena did seek a switch to the Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) last year, but did not gain the support of the EDFL’s member clubs.
Myors said the club’s future was now in the West Gippsland league.
“We understand that we’re struggling, but the club has made a decision that we will work through these hard times and come out the other side.
“It’s obvious we’re in a rebuilding stage at the moment, but we’re committed to a future in West Gippsland.”
WGFNC Operations Manager Brett Tessari, and his EDFL counterpart Ken Moore, were both unaware of the meeting that was taking place on Monday night between Outer East, Eastern, Southern, VAFA and the MPFNL.
