Despite narrow defeats in its past two AFL Victoria Community Championships campaigns, the Central Highlands Football League has kept the faith with Clive Raak.
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Raak has been reappointed to a third term as coach of the league’s senior representative squad, which will take on Riddell District in next year’s statewide competition.
The Hepburn premiership coach of 2013 has been at the helm during the Highlanders’ losses to the Geelong and District and Southern leagues, both of which were by four points.
They are the only two defeats the CHFL has suffered since returning to senior interleague football in 2012.
Raak spent time on the coaching panel under Greg Middleton before taking over the top job.
CHFL president Eddy Comelli said Raak could hardly be blamed for the narrow defeats, but admitted it was important the league got back to winning ways in 2018.
“We’ve got to get back on the winner’s list. We can’t afford to lose three in a row,” he said.
The CHFL has been scheduled to host the fixture against Riddell District, but a venue is yet to be decided for the Saturday, May 19 match.
Last time the CHFL hosted an AFL Victoria Community Championships fixture – against Geelong and District in 2016 – it was played at Bungaree.
Riddell District is coming off a big win over West Gippsland in last season’s interleague battle.
While the CHFL is booked to play at home, the Ballarat league looks set to play on the hallowed turf of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
As the highest-ranked country representative match, the BFL is scheduled to battle Goulburn Valley in a curtain-raiser to the 2018 AFL Country Game between Geelong and Essendon.
