Smythesdale president John Cranny has declared the club will fight on despite its initial transfer request to the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League being denied.
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At a special meeting in Carisbrook on Wednesday evening, MCDFNL clubs voted against giving the Bulldogs the green light to join the competition in 2019.
While the verdict was a blow to Smythesdale, Cranny was quick to take to the club’s Facebook page to reassure members and supporters.
“The outcome of the MCDFNL vote is disappointing news, but it's not the end of the story,” Cranny wrote.
“We can appeal this and we will persevere as a club, wherever that may be.”
MCDFNL operations officer Mitch Tinning said that clubs voted “emphatically” against Smythesdale’s transfer request. He said approximately 90 per cent of the vote was to keep the Bulldogs out of their competition.
“We will be exploring the reasons why the clubs have voted this way and if there is any answers to that,” the statement read.
“Please stick with us. We have achieved great things this year, as a club, and together will forge a way forward.”
Cranny told The Courier on Friday that he had been in touch with Liam Brady at AFL Goldfields to seek out the process for appeal.
He said the current uncertainty made it tough for the club to recruit and retain players, but said it wouldn’t be giving up the fight for survival.
Cranny said the Bulldogs committee would likely meet soon to discuss its options.
The club joined the Central Highlands competition in 2011 as Illabarook after the Lexton Plains league folded and rebranded to Smythesdale in 2014.
The senior football side broke a five-year winning drought in 2016, but the Bulldogs have not been able to field a team in the league’s top division during the past two seasons.
Smythesdale runs a full compliment of netball sides, but all missed finals in 2018.
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