“Not surprising, but very disappointing” was how Nullawil Football Netball Club president Grant Kelly described news that Quambatook was folding at season’s end.
QFNC cited a lack of junior numbers and dwindling volunteers as reasons for their club’s dissolution in a statement prior to last weekend’s round of matches.
It will leave the Golden Rivers Football Netball League with just seven teams.
Nullawil, the GRFL powerhouse who have been unbeaten over the past two years and averaged a winning margin of more than 100 points, attempted to move to the North Central Football League at the end of last season.
But their application was rejected, locking them in for a further three years in the GRFL.
“One of the other reasons in us wanting to leave after last year was this exact reason – we could see the writing on the wall that a number of other clubs were going to be really struggling this year, so we wanted to make the move and get out while we still could,” Kelly said.
“Now, everything is falling down around us and we’re locked in to stay – which is extremely disappointing.
“The situation with Quamby is just very disappointing – especially for the Quamby blokes, because they are very good people, but it was just never going to work.
“We’re locked in here for the moment because the powers that be said we can’t leave for three years – so now were locked in here with one less side for next year and seriously, the way things are going, there could be more clubs that go by the wayside in the not-too-distant future either.”
Nullawil were forced to appeal to the AFL Central Victoria Commission late last year in an attempt to move to the NCFL in 2022 after the club’s original application was rejected by the Central Rivers board.
When their appeal was also dismissed, the club were forced to remain – against their wishes – with the stipulation also being handed down that they would be forced to remain a part of the GRFL until the end of 2024.
But now, with the goalposts having shifted with the imminent closure of the QFNC, Nullawil – and Kelly – will be hoping AFL Central Victoria allow the decision to be revisited.
“We’ve been in touch with the VCFL and they’re going to get back to us, so we really don’t know what’s going to happen – as far as we know we have no recourse, but were just hoping they come to their senses,” Kelly said.
“But it will depend on the league (Central Rivers board) and whether they say it’s ok to go, because if they jack up about it then I’d dare say we’ll have no chance anyway.
“One thing’s for sure, we will be looking at our options to leave again by the end of the season.”
Nullawil’s seniors and reserves football sides are both undefeated across the opening three rounds of the season, with their seniors boasting an average winning margin of over 116 points – including a 106-point win over Quambatook in the opening game of the year.
According to Kelly, too much success can come at a cost just as much as not enough can – with their move south seen as a way of future proofing the Mallee club.
“It’s not much fun for us beating teams by 100 points every week, no more than it is being on the receiving end of it,” Kelly said.
“It’s terrible, it’s a terrible spectacle and it’s very hard to sit and watch – it’s no fun for the opposition and it’s no fun for us either.
“Whether they say we’ve outgrown this league or this league’s crumbled around us – it’s been a great league with great clubs and great people in it, but it’s just not going to work for us anymore.
“We’ve got a great bunch of young kids here and all they want to do is play football – and some people are trying to stop them from playing and it’s as simple as that.
“The reason we wanted to leave in the first place was to keep our juniors playing football and playing more competitive football – that’s how you keep your club going and we’ve been denied that opportunity.”
