Four clubs to depart WDJFL

Four teams are set to leave the Warragul and District Junior Football League for season 2021.

The Warragul Colts, Warragul Blues, Warranor and Drouin clubs have made the move to the West Gippsland Junior Football League.

According to new WDJFL president Paul Osborne, the clubs said they have been thinking about the move for a few months now.

“Of course, it’s disappointing when any club doesn’t feel 100 per cent support from the league. I’m very new to the environment, but I have had some really good conversations with the presidents.

“They’ve looked at what’s best for their clubs and looked at other options, I’ve wished them well and also have left the door open for them to return,” Mr Osborne said.

It will see the competition go from 14 teams to 10 for 2021, but the league is in talks with Warragul surrounding the introduction of the club to the league.

“Whether it happens this year or next, we’ll probably find out a bit more in the next few weeks. We’ll greet them with open arms, I think it’s really important to have a junior team playing in Warragul,” he said.

Also confirmed by president Michael Ireland last week, the club has been given permission to approach the WDJFL to formally lodge an application to join the league.

Three junior teams will join if the application is accepted.

Mr Ireland said the WDJFL has a special resolution meeting scheduled for March 10 and an official vote on the application.

AFL Gippsland must formally approve the application after the vote also.

“It’s a very positive start, there’s a lot of work to do still and we are getting quite a bit of interest, but we still have plenty of spots in the team and want new players, boys and girls, to come and try out the game,” Mr Ireland said.

With Mr Osborne now taking over the role of president in the WDJFL, he’s hoping to bring the clubs together and see more clubs succeed.

“At the end of the day, if one club is successful great, but you want all clubs to be successful,” he said.

He also wants to see improved transition from the Auskick program.

“There is a big stepping stone between those, it can be pretty daunting for younger players, so we have been talking about an under 8.5s competition on Sunday, once a month or once a fortnight,” he said.