Gisborne football netball club members hit back with legal threat after AFL rejects league switch

A regional football and netball club president has threatened legal action against AFL Victoria for knocking back the club's request to switch to a different league.

The Gisborne Football Netball Club members voted overwhelmingly in late August for the club to leave the Bendigo league and move to the Ballarat league for next season.

The club wanted to move leagues because several teams in the Ballarat competition, such as Darley, Sunbury and Melton, were all much closer to Gisborne.

But, on Tuesday, AFL Victoria rejected the club's request.

Held to ransom

Gisborne president Tony Brancatisano said remaining in the Bendigo league was "not viable".

"AFL Victoria holds these clubs to ransom," he said.

Mr Brancatisano said joining the Ballarat competition would attract more players and spectators to Gisborne games.

He said the club would fight the decision by seeking legal action.

"They don't own us," he said.

"That's what they are doing to us at the moment."

Ballarat in favour

The board and members of the Ballarat league voted 46 to 4 to accept Gisborne into its competition.

But the Bendigo league lodged an appeal with AFL Victoria about the possible move.

In a statement, a Bendigo league spokesperson said AFL Victoria's decision on Tuesday was a "a positive outcome".

"The Bendigo Football Netball League looks forward to the continued participation of the Gisborne Football Netball Club as a highly valued member of our league," the spokesperson said.

In its decision, AFL Victoria found the transfer would be too "strategically harmful".

The league, formed in 1925, currently has eight clubs in its competition, after losing two clubs in recent years, Maryborough and Kyneton.

In August, 193 out of a possible 223 Gisborne club members voted to move to Ballarat.

But the AFL Victoria statement said this was "inconsistent" with regulations as it did not occur before June 30.

Mr Brancatisano said there were sides all over country Victoria that were struggling, and grassroots competitions were "in trouble".

"It needs a whole overhaul," he said.

"The AFL made a statement the other week [that] football is in such a good way and all the rest of it — that's bullshit, mate."

He said there were 40 and 50-year-olds playing in the reserves side because players did not want to travel the long distances.

AFL standing in the way

Author Paul Daffey has written several books about country football in the past 25 years.

He said he understood why the club wanted to switch leagues and did not understand why AFL Victoria blocked the move.

"I think standing in the way is a waste of time, of everyone's time," he said.

The population of Gisborne is forecast to double by 2050 and Mr Daffey said population shifts drove most changes to regional competition.

"You can't stop population change; it's the major factor in the history of country footy," he said.

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