The South Australian National Football League South East Working Party is being convened in response to a third knockback to revitalise the Western Border.

The Penola Football Netball Club became the third club on Thursday night to reject an approach to return to the league it left in 1987 without winning an A Grade football premiership.

The Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Southern Eagles joined Portland and the Hamilton Kangaroos this year in rejecting the overtures for an enlarged and re-badged Western Border competition in 2024.

Around 63.9% of the votes backed the proposition to leave the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara at a closed meeting at the McCorquindale Park clubrooms on Thursday night.

A vote of 67% was needed to switch to the Western Border Football and Netball league.

The 200 votes were cast by members, adult players of both codes, life members and sponsors while proxy votes were allowed.

The meeting began at 6pm with the outcome announced almost three hours later.

Club members were obviously not swayed in sufficient numbers by the incentives offered by the SANFL and Western Border, the prospect of less travel and the fact the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara cannot fill teams in every grade of both codes.

The KNT Southern Eagles had been offered extra grand final hosting rights, enhanced player transfer points and other incentives to switch leagues.

The club made a public statement the day after the vote.

“The Penola Football Netball Club would like to thank its members for the time and consideration of the proposal to switch leagues,” the club stated.

“It has been a busy and exhausting time for all involved.

“We look forward to playing in the KNT in 2024.”

Penola’s decision means the South Australian Football Commission has not yet achieved its outcome of a South East competition restructure.

The Community Football Board indicated in 2022 that it would ask the South Australian Football Commission to force a merger of the Western Border and Mid SE leagues next season if a restructure could not be achieved.

However, SANFL Head of Country Football Shawn Ford said in the wake of the Penola vote that this forced merger recommendation would not necessarily be rubber-stamped.

Mr Ford said a Mid SE/Western Border merger remained on the table but was one of a number of options which would be canvassed when the SE Working Party reconvened.

“There is no traction for change in the South East,” Mr Ford said.

“The SANFL is appreciative of the exceptional amount of work by the Penola committee about the proposal. It was done in a transparent manner.

“No cash was ever offered by the SANFL for Penola to switch leagues.”

Speaking after the vote, Mid SE Football League president Peter Mitchell said it was business as usual for his league.

“From a Mid SE point of view, I have talked to people around our league and assured them there will be no change as nothing else has been tabled,” he said.

“It is frustrating for everyone.

“I would encourage our Mid SE clubs to concentrate on their football and netball finals at this end of the season.

“The Penola football and netball committees did a lot of hard work to communicate to their members the reasons for change. I hope these committee members remain committed to their club.”

KNT Football League president Peter McLellan said he regarded the outcome of the Penola vote as “good news”.

He said the KNT would continue as a 10-club competition in 2024.

“We never wanted Penola to leave,” Mr McLellan said.

He had not read the 34-page document which had been sent to Penola members by its football and netball committees and which made veiled criticisms of the KNT regarding team numbers and rumoured player payments.

“We are aware that some of our smaller clubs have trouble fielding teams but we work around that,” Mr McLellan said.

“I will not comment on player payments as those matters do not come across my desk.”