The Vikings have withdrawn owing to a lack of numbers.

They are also out division two.

Their only presence in the BDSA open competitions will be in division three.

Despite the loss of the Vikings, the inclusion of Castlemaine means the division one and two remain six-team competitions.

Vikings president Rod Oppenhuis said with the club’s primary focus on playing in the Football Federation Victoria state league, it did not have the players to stretch to four teams.

“That’s (the state league) where out our future is.”

The Vikings have seniors and reserves in state league four (west) after contesting division five in their first season in the state league last year.

Oppenhuis said the club had struggled to fill four teams – two in the state league and two in the BDSA – last season.

“We weren’t competitive (in the BDSA).

He said with the Vikings’ long-term future at state league level, they had decided to withdraw from division one.

Oppenhuis said in effect the club was back where it was two years ago – before entering the state league – when it fielded just three open senior teams in the BDSA.

The BDSA senior season, including division one women, begins on Sunday, March 30.

SENIOR STRUCTURES:

Open division one: Ballarat, North United, Vic Park, Forest Rangers, Warrnambool, Castlemaine 

Open division two: Ballarat, North United, Vic Park, Forest Rangers, Warrnambool, Castlemaine 

Open division three: Daylesford, Ballarat, Sebastopol, Creswick Orange, Creswick Maroon, Bacchus Marsh, North United, Maryborough, Horsham, Vic Park

Women’s open division one: Vic Park, Sebastopol, North United White, North United Black, Forest Rangers, Ballarat, Warrnambool

Under-17s, under-15s and under-13s start on Sunday, April 6.

They have again attracted teams from far afield as Horsham, Warrnambool Maryborough, Bacchus Marsh and Daylesford.

JUNIORS STRUCTURES:

Under-17: Ballarat White, Ballarat Red, Horsham, Warrnambool, Maryborough, Vic Park, Buninyong, North United, Forest Rangers, Sebastopol,

Under-15: North United Black, Bacchus Marsh, Forest Rangers, Sebastopol, Warrnambool, Daylesford, North United White, Buninyong, Horsham Ballarat, Vic Park

Under-13: Warrnambool, North United, Ballarat, Vic Park, Daylesford, Sebastopol, Buninyong, Bacchus Marsh.

david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au