The Bulldogs, which are currently in recess after a failed transfer bid, will soon be able to make fresh submissions to join nearby football/netball leagues for next year.

AFL Goldfields general manager Rod Ward said a rule which stopped clubs making approaches to move to new leagues for two years after an initial attempt had been amended.

"The AFL Victoria rules have changed because previously if you'd applied to join a competition in the past and failed you couldn't reapply for two years," he told The Courier.

"Now that has come back to 12 months.

"...Smythesdale, in this case, has applied to join Maryborough Castlemaine District and the Mininera and District league in 2019 and both of those were declined. They now can reapply to both those competitions next year.

"And reapply to the Central Highlands Football League for that matter."

The rule in the 2018 AFL Victoria handbook read: If an approach, discussion or negotiations in any given year fail to result in the movement of a club to a new league, any further application to approach, discussion or negotiations may not take place for a period of two years.

This has recently been altered to a one-year timeframe.

"That should give Smythesdale hope," Ward said.

Ward said a meeting had been scheduled between AFL Goldfields and the Golden Plains Shire Council this week to discuss Smythesdale's predicament.

"We are in open discussions with them about making sure there is football at Smythesdale this year and about what we can do to make sure the club can reapply to play in a competition next year," he said.

Just last month, Bulldogs president John Cranny said the club needed to be given assurances it had somewhere to play in 2020 to help its chances of coming out of recess.

Many Smythesdale footballers and netballers have decided to play elsewhere this season with the Bulldogs in hiatus for 2019.