Football’s governing body is set to overrule the unanimous wishes of all 18 Mid South Eastern football and netball club presidents and enforce change next year.
As reported exclusively by The SE Voice, the local club leaders met at Mount Burr last month and put their signatures on a document stating they want the status quo to remain in season 2024 and beyond.
However, change is necessary in the interests of sustainability for football in this region according to Adelaide-based SANFL football administrator Shawn Ford.
It was raised by him when the composition of the SE region’s football and netball competitions for 2024 was canvassed in high-level meetings this week.
The newly-appointed SANFL Head of Country Football privately met the Western Border Football League in Mount Gambier on Monday and the Mid South East Football League in Millicent the following night. He also gave a number of media interviews and issued a press release yesterday.
The 10-year veteran of SANFL administration was elevated to the role in December and Tuesday was the first opportunity for him to face the MSEFL club delegates and executive committee since its 18 football and netball club presidents formally opposed any possibility of a merger.
“The South Australian Football Commission decided last year the SE football competitions would change in 2024,” Mr Ford said.
“The SANFL has been quite clear in stating there will be change but this message has not been getting through.
“We have established a Working Party headed by Tony Irvine as well as three sub-committees to get the right model.
“We are absolutely invested in getting the right outcome.
“There is no silver bullet as it would have been fired by now.
“The only model we have at this stage is the merger of the Mid SE and Western Border to create a 15-club model, but there could be others.
“The Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara football and netball competitions are represented on the Working Party.”
According to Mr Ford, the Casterton Football Netball Club will definitely quit the Western Border at the end of 2023 leaving it with just five clubs which was unsustainable.
Mr Ford said it was understood the Western Border had approached the Penola, Portland and now combined Hamilton clubs to re-join it but had been rebuffed by all of them.
The SE Voice put it to Mr Ford the MSEFL had long been overlooked by the SANFL and been treated as a “poor relation” as it has not been allocated any elite football action since the 1980s.
By way of comparison, the region’s two other leagues have hosted AFL training camps and trials along with an SANFL match for premiership points in this period.
However, Mr Ford said such a perception was incorrect.
Furthermore, Mr Ford was asked why the SANFL appeared hell-bent on breaking up the MSEFL which is one of the most stable competitions of its size anywhere in the nation with just one change of composition in almost 60 years.
In reply, he said that such stability may indeed be the case, but this overlooked the unevenness of the competition and the lack of juniors at some clubs.
While noting the stance of the 18 Mid SE football and netball club presidents, Mr Ford said a significant number of survey participants across the region in 2022 had stated that exploring the possibility of change was an appropriate action.
He confirmed the Working Party and sub-committee members were obliged to sign confidentiality agreements as past groups had leaked confidential information.
“We expect a full report from the Working Party in July with a final decision on the model for the SE by September,” he said.
“We have agreed there will be no announcements at the same time as key events.”
Mr Ford said he was aware the focus of the discussions had been on football with less emphasis on netball.
He said the SANFL had no governance over netball.
The Mid SE season begins in just over a fortnight on April 15 with the presence of “guest Saint”, Brownlow Medallist and ex-Collingwood star Dane Swan being a drawcard when Nangwarry hosts Mount Burr.
