By Marcus Uhe and David Nagel
The desire to participate against clubs of a comparable size has convinced the Narre Warren Football Netball Club to register an expression of interest to join the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League.
The club’s executive committee met on Monday night, 19 June, and unanimously voted to file the expression.
Narre Warren President Stuart Stephenson believes both the league and the club will benefit from the potential move from Outer East Football Netball.
“What we can bring to the MPFNL is increased coverage and sponsorship opportunities for MPFNL clubs,” Stephenson said.
“The footprint of that competition, there’ll be a much higher interest in the Casey and Cardinia regions.
“We think that Narre Warren, with our large supporter base, and our people being willing to travel, that there’s real financial benefits for us joining the MPFNL for those clubs, and also for ourselves.
“Outer East has been fantastic as far as its administration and running of the competition, it couldn’t do any more for us.
“It is purely based on the size of our town and the players that we have coming through, compared to the size of the towns that we’re playing against.”
The MPFNL released a statement on Wednesday 14 June welcoming expressions of interest with a desire to establish a third league, considered “an integral step in the long-term sustainability of the competition,” by MPFNL Chairman Graham Sherry.
“We’re looking to expand into a third division, because we think it makes a lot of sense for our existing clubs,” Sherry told Star News.
“We’ve created criteria which we will take into account, for clubs expressing an interest in joining the league, and our consideration is the long-term benefit of our league, and our clubs.
“That’s what’s behind this expansion proposal.
“And it’s not new; it’s something we’ve been looking into for the last five years.”
Current MPFNL rules require approval from 75 per cent of club Presidents in order for clubs to be accepted.
“We still need the support of the clubs, and we believe we will get that support,” Sherry said.
“It relies on the clubs taking the longer view, and perhaps not being driven by self-interest as may have been the case in the past.
“It’s about long-term benefits, and the survival and the development of our league more generally.
“We’re confident the clubs will support it; but we won’t know that until we look at what clubs have lodged an expression of interest and we determine whether it’s feasible to proceed.”
Selection criteria clubs must meet include being financially viable to the satisfaction of the league and complement the league’s geographical footprint.
Clubs wishing to join the competition have until 21 July to submit their expressions of interest before they are presented to MPNFL club presidents for final assessment.
The netball club at Narre Warren would also move leagues, in-order to maintain the strong culture at the club.
