Golden Plains Shire Council is calling on the AFL and state government to find Smythesdale Football Netball Club a league to play in next year.
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Golden Plains mayor Cr Owen Sharkey has written to AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan, AFL Victoria CEO Steven Reaper, Minister for Sport Martin Pakula and Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams – asking that they ensure Smythesdale is not left high and dry without a competition in 2019.
Cr Sharkey is seeking an immediate response.
“We want someone to step in and give Smythesdale an early Christmas present,” he told The Courier at the Smythesdale Recreation Reserve on Thursday.
Cr Sharkey said Smythesdale’s predicament was unacceptable. “Something has to be done.”
Smythesdale, which joined the Central Highlands league in 2011 after Lexton Plain disbanded, has had applications to join the Maryborough Castlemaine District and Mininera District leagues rejected since deciding at the end of last season that its preference was to leave the CHFL and join a competition in which it would had an opportunity to be more competitive.
CHFL has also shut the door on any possibility of Symthesdale returning to its ranks.
Cr Sharkey said the club had worked hard to get “good” people on board and with excellent facilities should be looking to use 2019 as a springboard into a fruitful future instead of facing this dilemma.
While acknowledging 75 per cent of the 12 teams needed to give the application the green light, Cr Sharkey is still bewildered that a 7-5 vote by clubs in the Mininera District league had not been enough to see Smythesdale enter the competition.
Golden Plains shire, with the support of state government, has invested more than $1m in upgrading football and netball facilities at Smythesdale, including a total redevelopment of the oval playing surface. New coaching boxes are also close to completion.
Cr Sharkey said with the investment everything was in place for a bright future in a community at the centre of a growth area.
He said this battle went beyond sport. “This is about community.”
Smythesdale president John Cranny said the executive committee remained committed to the club’s future.