The Penola Football and Netball Club Executive has voted to rejoin the re-badged Western Border competition in 2024.
It is now looking to its adult members, players, life members and sponsors to support the move with a vote scheduled for a closed meeting at its McCorquindale Park clubrooms on August 31 at 6pm.
At least 67% of votes is needed for the move back to the re-badged Western Border to succeed.
The Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara club has been wooed by the six Western Border clubs and SANFL officialdom in recent months with incentives such as hosting the 2024 interleague carnival being bandied about.
The club has announced a sliding scale of voting entitlements for August 31 with major sponsors granted two votes.
Voting by proxy will be permitted but these arrangements have yet to be revealed.
There is nothing in either the Penola football or Penola netball constitutions regarding the percentage that will win the all important vote.
As a result, the Penola Football and Netball Committees have met and agreed that if two thirds (or 67%) of its eligible voters say “yes” to move to the re-badged Western Border, then the move will occur.
Further details about the vote are set to be emailed to eligible voters in the coming week.
Meanwhile, McCorquindale Park is being readied to host the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara qualifying final on Saturday.
Penola Football Club president Matt Tilby said he had been told by the Casterton Football Netball Club they would be remaining in the existing competition in 2024 and not head to another like the South West District.
Mr Tilby said around 200 people would be eligible to vote on August 31 and there would be no speeches made on the night.
He said discussions had occurred with the SANFL in the past year regarding potential infrastructure upgrades, but declined to state them or elaborate how these could be funded.
“It is a strange situation as we are not completely unhappy with the KNT,” Mr Tilby said.
“We will be making a decision on our long-term future in this region.
“Travel is one of the factors and the amount we do is excessive.”
The Eagles had been one of the foundation clubs of the Western Border in 1964 but defected to the 10 club Kowree Naracoorte Football League 24 years later without winning an A Grade football premiership.
Penola went top in 1989 and 1990 and then Kowree Naracoorte joined with the Tatiara league in 1993 and created a 14-club league.
Further football premierships came Penola’s way in 2001, 2003, 2013 and 2016 and it has also been successful at A Grade level in netball in the KNT.
If Penola was to return to a re-badged Western Border as its seventh club, the KNT would be reduced to nine clubs.
Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League Peter McLellan said Penola representatives had informed the other clubs of their pending members’ vote at a KNT club delegates meeting at Naracoorte last week.
“We told them that we do not want Penola to go,” Mr McLellan said.
“We would be losing a good club, but it is their decision to make.
“Penola is our second-most successful club in terms of premierships.
“The KNT executive has been meeting with Penola.
“They have not told us why they want to leave but I suspect it is to do with travel. They have a lot of young people who work in Mount Gambier.
“The KNT will still be able to function with nine clubs. It means each club will play each other twice and there will be a bye.
“We have had byes in the past and they have been okay.”
Mr McLellan suspects Penola had been in receipt of “good offers” from the SANFL and Western Border to switch leagues.
The SANFL has repeatedly stated the South Australian Football Commission would force a merger of the Western Border and Mid South Eastern leagues in 2024 unless a restructure of the region’s competitions took place.
The SE Voice has approached the SANFL for comment.
