The Courier's country football survey revealed good support for Darley, Sunbury, Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Melton South to remain part of the competition, with 56 per cent of voters believing the BFL should incorporate those sides within the league.

A week-long survey also showed an overwhelming support for senior matches to be played in the traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot across both Ballarat and Central Highlands competitions and identified rising player payments as a "massive" issue across the state, but one that could be curbed by the introduction of a salary cap/points system.

More than 60 per cent of voters said they would have more interest in or better support the Roosters if the club dropped the North Ballarat branding and believed the luring of AFL games to Ballarat would help the sport in the region.

It was an emphatic "yes" to the issue of whether or not senior games should be recorded in the Central Highlands for tribunal and match review purposes, while there was a clear message about the gap between the best and worst teams in the competition. More than 90 per cent of voters believed that margin was too great and more than 60 per cent said the league's 18-team format should be broken into two divisions.

The Courier's country football survey included 26 questions on key issues throughout the region.

KEY RESULTS

Will a salary cap/points system work to curb player payments and create a more even competition throughout the state?

Yes - 61%

No - 39%

Is the current interleague format the right one?

Yes - 72%

No - 28%

What is the standard of umpiring at senior level?

Good - 44%

Average - 41%

Poor - 10%

Excellent - 5%

Could your club realistically win the senior premiership next season?

Yes - 50%

No - 50%

What is the state of the grounds and facilities throughout the region?

Average - 48%

Good - 36%

Poor - 14%

Excellent - 1%

Is North Ballarat's relationship with country clubs (player sharing) adequate, given the axing of its development (reserves) team?

No - 65%

Yes - 35%

What is the overall health of the North Ballarat Rebels program?

Good - 48%

Needs work - 32%

Excellent - 11%

Poor - 8%

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Should the league be split into two divisions?

Yes - 62%

No - 38%

Is the gap between the top teams and the bottom teams too big?

Yes - 92%

No - 8%

What is the relationship between football and netball at league level?

Good - 49%

Average - 30%

Excellent - 12%

Poor - 10%

What is the best time slot for senior matches?

Saturday afternoon - 94%

Saturday night - 4%

Sunday - 1%

Friday night - 1%

BALLARAT FOOTBALL LEAGUE

How do you rate current crowd numbers?

Poor - 56%

Average - 36%

Good - 7%

Very good - 1%

Can the league return to the top of interleague rankings in the next five years?

Yes - 52%

No - 48%

Would the league benefit from more big-name former AFL players in the competition?

Yes - 74%

No - 26%

What is the best timeslot for senior matches?

Saturday afternoon - 87%

Sunday - 5%

Saturday night - 5%

Friday night - 3%