Hosting the 2024 interleague carnival at Penola is under consideration by football’s peak body if the Penola Eagles are prepared to leave the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League and re-join a new-look Western Border Football League.
It is one of the incentives being considered by the SANFL in a bid to have the Penola Football Netball Club switch leagues.
It has also been confirmed by the SANFL that Penola is in the running to host the revamped league’s grand final in either 2024 or 2025.
Last month, the Penola Football Netball Club announced an open meeting of its members to discuss the possible restructure of leagues from SANFL and Western Border officials.
Lasting two hours, it was held at McCorquindale Park on Tuesday night and attended by around 130 footballers, netballers, club members, visiting officials and The SE Voice.
The forum included a question-and-answer period.
It was addressed by various SANFL officials including locals Michael Mourbey and Heath Sims as well as SE Working Party chairman Tony Irvine.
Western Border Football League president Michael Summers and most of the presidents of the six Western Border Football League clubs were in attendance.
Mr Irvine said one of the proposals is for the Western Border to expand to eight clubs with the return of Penola and Portland.
He said there had been a meeting at Portland and the SANFL was waiting for a reply from the Tigers.
“The option of having a 15-club league with all Western Border and Mid SE clubs was not palatable while the model which had the Western Border being split between the KNT and Mid SE never got legs,” Mr Irvine said.
Much of the discussion centred on the best option to promote the development and participation of juniors.
Mr Sims said the creation of a new eight-club competition would provide an opportunity for examining age groupings.
“The Western Border has gone: we are starting afresh,” Mr Sims said.
According to Play HQ data quoted by Mr Mourbey, there are 170 players registered in the KNTFL who live in Adelaide.
He said Penola had no Adelaide players but Kingston had 22.
Mr Mourbey said Lucindale and Padthaway combined in underage grades and talks were under way for a possible union at senior level.
“Border Districts use overflow players from Kybybolite and Naracoorte,” Mr Mourbey said.
“They have been talking to us for the past five years about them merging or folding.
“They are doing well this season and we know the reason why.”
Millicent Football Netball Club president Joel Redman said he was always looking to maximise participation and that is why he had discounted the possibility of his Saints rejoining the Mid SE after an absence of 77 years.
“If we did that, we would have to say goodbye to three netball teams,” Mr Redman said.
“There is better linkage with Penola and Millicent could maintain the same number of teams.”
The SE Working Group will now consider the matters raised at Tuesday’s meeting and then make further contact with Penola about the club’s response.
Founded in 1865 and regarded as the oldest club in country SA, the Penola Football Club has already played in five different leagues since the end of World War II.
It was a foundation member of the Western Border in 1964 but left after 25 seasons without winning an A Grade flag.
The Eagles have since won four premierships in the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League.
