North Ballarat chairman John Nevett will demand an answer at a meeting with AFL Victoria on Wednesday which could decide the Roosters’ fate in the VFL.
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Earlier this month AFL Victoria general manager Stephen Reaper said there was “some chance” the Roosters would not feature in season 2018.
A number of Roosters players will run out onto Mars Stadium on Saturday not knowing where they will play in 2018 despite being contracted to continue at North Ballarat next season.
Mr Nevett said the club would be “pretty shattered” if it was not granted a license as he believed the application was a strong one.
A new name would be among a host of changes to the VFL outfit should it feature in 2018 in an effort to engage with the whole of western Victoria.
The club’s relationship with the North Ballarat Sports Club would also be altered to ensure the VFL team was an entity independent of the existing junior and Ballarat Football League clubs.
“We’ve put together what we believe is a more than solid submission for not only having a license but also making the club more accessible and relevant in terms of how we want to engage with western Victoria,” Mr Nevett said.
“(What the board’s proposing is) a strengthening of the Roosters’ position as a club, giving the players, coaches and staff an identity of their own.
“I’m going to be pretty demanding that we walk away with a yes or a no.”
Despite the uncertainty about the coming season, the club plans on employing a finance manager in the coming weeks and a chief executive by the end of the year.
AFL Victoria general manager Stephen Reaper said while North Ballarat would not receive a definitive answer at next week's meeting, the club could expect an announcement before the end of September.
The AFL Victoria board will meet in mid-September to discuss the future make-up of the league.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE TEAM?
North Ballarat Roosters will bring down the curtain on another VFL season on its home patch on Saturday.
This might be no ordinary last game though.
There is the possibility, and a strong one, that this will be the final curtain call for the Roosters.
They have gone through a tormentous year.
Football teams have tough times on the park. It goes with the territory.
North Ballarat has experienced life at each end of the spectrum in its two decades in the VFL, but it has been whole new ball game this year.
This has all been about governance and the stress that turmoil in club management has in turn placed on head coach Marc Greig and his playing group.
Within the past 12 months the Roosters have had new chief executive officer Bill Mundy come and go, general manager of football Gary Buckenara made redundant and long-serving football manager Marg Richards leave, John Nevett step into the role of chairman and constant changes in the membership of the board of management.
Although Nevett has maintained the board’s commitment to the Roosters remaining in the VFL in 2018, the uncertainty about their future has no surprisingly remained.
AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper confirmed earlier this month that there was “some chance” the Roosters would not be in the competition next year.
This was not new news.
The uncertainty about future continues to weigh heavier on certain shoulders in the Roosters camp.
Coach Marc Greig said it was hard to ignore the bigger picture.
He said North would do its best to focus on beating Sandringham on Saturday, but was well aware it was only natural that his group's minds could wander as a difficult season draws to a close.
"It's there, it's been there for a few weeks now," Greig said.
"We don't hide from that...it's a real issue.
"Like I've said before, certain people will say just concentrate on footy - it's not that simple.
"It'll be in the blokes' mind...we won't talk about it on match-day, we've got a job to do.
"We've got to try and put it to the back (of our minds) as best we can."
Coaches and players addressed the matter on Wednesday night, but come Saturday it will treat it just as it would any other match - in search of the four points.
Whatever AFL Victoria’s decision is after discussions with the NBFC is, the announcement must be made as soon as possible after Saturday’s last home and away match.
The players have put on a brave face – getting on with the job of representing a jumper which has such a rich VFL history and doing their best for personal pride.
Everyone concerned owes it to the players to know where their football future sits so they get on with their own pursuits.
