The Courier understands the Magpies held a meeting of about 100 members on Sunday, where discussions took place about the club’s future.

It is believed no final decisions have been made at this stage, but the club’s concerns centre around the senior football team and its ability to compete in the current 18-team competition.

It is understood a push to have the league split into two divisions is one of the Magpies’ desired options, and while no official approaches are believed to have been made, a possible move to the nearby Maryborough Castlemaine District competition is a possibility should the Central Highlands remain in its current format.

A subcommittee has been formed to take action following Sunday’s talks and it will present an update to club members at another meeting in about a month’s time. The Magpies’ netball arm is also included in the committee and will be part of decisions made in the future.

The Magpies were one of the founding members of the Central Highlands competition, which was formed when the Clunes league merged with the Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh league.

Clunes won the first Central Highlands senior premiership in 1979 and also claimed flags in 1993 and 1997, but has not played finals since 2005, when it lost to Hepburn in the decider.

Sunday’s meeting is believed to have been organised long before the start of the season and is not a reaction to a tough start to the 2015 campaign. Clunes was thumped by 130 points against Hepburn in round one and lost to Creswick by 45 points on Saturday.

The Magpies sit third last on the ladder ahead of a difficult encounter with reigning premier Bungaree on Anzac Day.

tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au