As AFL Victoria looks to finalise the VFL structure for next season, North Ballarat Football Club remains keen to stay in the competition, according to its chairman John Nevett.
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In a brief statement provided to The Courier, Nevett said North Ballarat “is definitely committed to continuing in the VFL in 2018 and beyond.”
Despite Nevett’s strong words, it is no foregone conclusion that the Roosters will be granted a licence in the statewide league for next year.
AFL Victoria is expected to meet with North Ballarat’s board in the coming weeks to talk about its future before deciding on how the VFL will look in 2018.
Frankston is one club that is hoping to return to the VFL ranks after having its licence withdrawn for 2017 following a host of off-field issues.
John Hook, the competitions manager at AFL Victoria, said he would like to know North Ballarat’s plans before the end of the current season.
“We’d be sitting down with North Ballarat and their management and talking (about) what their plans are. How they’re going to be competitive going forward.
“Licences don’t just roll over each year. We’ve got to be convinced that the clubs really want to be there, want to be involved, have got the support and all those sort of things.
“Those discussions (with North Ballarat) will be held before the season’s end, there’s no doubt about that.”
In February this year, when it remained unclear if the Roosters would field a team in the VFL during 2017, AFL Victoria chief executive Steven Reaper said there was potential for a new Ballarat-based entity to take up a spot in the competition.
In theory, this could still occur if the Roosters were to withdraw their interest or AFL Victoria decide to revoke their licence.
“If, for some reason, there was a decision by North Ballarat to pull out and there was a vacancy, we would certainly look at all avenues for this season,” Reaper said early this year.
North Ballarat has been plagued by off-field drama in recent times – including major board disruptions and financial issues – and currently sits winless at the bottom of the VFL ladder.
