This Sunday, the sub-committee formed to look at the club’s future will make a presentation to members, which have until July 19 to cast their vote on whether the club should remain in its current environment within the Central Highlands competition or pursue a move to the MCDFNL.

Garth said there were a lot of pros and cons for staying in the Central Highlands and moving to the MCDFNL.

“If you were at the coal face of our club, you would know that it has not been easy by any means,” Garth told The Courier.

“This whole process was not all about the poor start by our senior side, in fact this is more about our juniors than anything else.

“We could work harder to raise more money, buy in a heap of recruits and compete in the top eight, but to me that is the easy way out.

“Who would want to watch a heap of strangers running around? Not me, that’s for sure.”

Garth’s focus is for the Magpies to remain a community-based club.

“We currently have two junior football teams in the eight, so there is strength in our juniors, but what we don’t want to do is push our boys out of our club with strangers,” he said.

“I am not saying we don’t need to top up our side with some recruits, but what I am saying is we would not put recruits before our locals.”

Garth said the netballers were an important part of the entire decision process.

“I know that this seems to be focused on the footy side of our club and we don’t want to understate the netball at all as they are a massive part of our club,” he said.

“They also are the sisters, mothers and daughters of our community club.”

Garth hoped 250 members would lodge their vote on what they feel is best for the Magpies.

“It doesn’t matter which way the vote goes on Sunday, the whole club has a lot of work to do,” he said.

“The only difference will be the ovals and courts we play on.”