Bendigo league chairman Damian Drum yesterday said his board was 100 per cent behind retaining Gisborne.

Mr Drum told The Courier the league needed to find out what the Gisborne community as a whole wanted before any action was taken.

He issued a broad caution to Bulldogs' members in the wake of a club committee decision to put the Gisborne Football Club to the vote.

"Gisborne is making a decision for the entire club and community, which is a significant responsibility," Mr Drum said.

"They know exactly what they are getting themselves into with us - the condition of grounds, weather, the length of the season.

"Jumping into the unknown is creating dislocation and upheaval."

The Gisborne committee took the first step to joining the Ballarat league on Tuesday night by agreeing to end 10 years in the Bendigo competition.

The proposal will be taken to club members for endorsement on September 15.

If supported, the Bulldogs' clearance must be supported by the Bendigo league but Gisborne can appeal to the Victorian Country Football League by October 31.

Mr Drum has labelled the Ballarat league's plan to lure Gisborne for its 12th team as "random poaching", enticing the club with two-year inducements including a lop-sided draw, lower affiliation fees and increased gate takings.

He said the honeymoon period would wear off when the league reverted to an even draw and urged the VCFL to tighten its stance on league recruiting.

"The VCFL has a very, very significant role to play here," Mr Drum said.

"We don't want to get into a situation when league's can recuit clubs just because it suits them.

"Ballarat might poach Gisborne then we might poach a Goulburn Valley club and they might go after a couple of Ovens and Murray clubs and in the end someone ends up without a league."

Mr Drum said meetings with Gisborne, even as late as last week, had indicated a strong preference to stay with the Bendigo league, especially from players and the club president.