The Gisborne committee has taken the first step in the process by agreeing to apply to the Bendigo league for a transfer to become the Ballarat competition's 12th team.

The proposal will now be taken to club members for endorsement in about three weeks.

Gisborne informed RegionalOne BFL chief executive officer Rod Ward of its decision early yesterday.

Ward said he was ecstatic with the news.

"We want 12 teams and geographically Gisborne is an ideal fit.

"We were determined to make as strong a case as possible and went after Gisborne aggressively," he said.

The announcement came much earlier than Ward expected.

He said the Ballarat league was not expecting Gisborne to begin the voting process until much closer to the end of the season.

If the Bendigo Football League chooses to block the move, Gisborne may appeal to the Victorian Country Football League.

Gisborne president Graeme Love said the club was keen to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

He said Gisborne did not want uncertainty about its future direction lingering on for too long.

Love said reduced travelling had been a major factor in persuading the committee to vote in favour of the shift.

Gisborne will be within a 30-minute drive of five teams in the Ballarat league - Sunbury, Melton, Melton South, Darley and Bacchus Marsh.

Gisborne joined the Bendigo league in 2000 after switching from the Riddell District league - the same competition from which Sunbury, Darley, Melton and Melton South moved from to join the Ballarat league in 1997.

Gisborne has won four Bendigo league premierships -2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The Bendigo league has 10 teams, with Strathfieldsaye joining it this season.

North Ballarat City played in the competition in 2006 and 2007 before transferring to Ballarat last year.