Sport
24 July, 2026
PLAYING IN WAIT
THE waiting game has started for Marong - the reigning four-time premier club Bendigo Football League wants in its 2027 draw but told its services are still required in Loddon Valley.
THE waiting game has started for Marong - the reigning four-time premier club Bendigo Football League wants in its 2027 draw but told its service's are still required in Loddon Valley.
The Panthers on Monday night failed to convince two-thirds of the Loddon Valley’s other nine clubs to let it jump leagues.
And Maiden Gully did not make it past the first hurdle with Bendigo rejecting its application to leave Loddon Valley where the two western Bendigo-based sides have played since 1983.
First-year Marong coach James Flaherty, his former Bendigo league experience a factor in being appointed at Malone Park, said Monday night’s rejection would delay football operations and recruitment planning while the club waited for an appeal to be heard by the AFL Central Victoria’s regional council.
On Monday night, 20 Loddon Valley delegates – two from each of the 10 clubs – voted 12-8 to reject the Bendigo league’s decision to approve the Panthers’ transfer.
Observers were surprised at the strength of the ‘no’ vote, which indicated the clubs’ keenness to retain Marong.
“It puts us behind with football operations and recruiting, and all we can do is move forward with the information that we have,” Flaherty said.
“We can still do a bit of work in the background and we are having conversations with our current playing group and with potential recruits, but it’s a bit hard until we have that clarification.
“Unfortunately we will probably not know much for a few weeks, but we still have this season to focus on, and that is our aim as well.”
Loddon Valley officials were yesterday morning waiting formal notice of the BFNL’s decision to accept Marong. When received, they will lodge an appeal.
League chair Richard Hicks said, “Officially, Bendigo have not accepted Marong until we receive that letter, which makes it very difficult to comment.”
That appeal will be heard by an independent regional council, which is expected to overrule Loddon Valley objections and endorse Marong’s move, ignoring the strongly expressed will of two-thirds of the league’s clubs that the Panthers should stay where they are.
All Loddon Valley clubs will be invited to share their views in writing with the council, which will leave that body in no doubt about the clubs’ collective stance.
Marong made an impassioned pitch to the Loddon clubs on Monday before the vote was taken.
Meanwhile, rejection of Maiden Gully’s third attempt in four years to change leagues - it has previously angled to enter the Heathcote league - has seen to Eagles go to ground,
Club president Chris Garlick said in a text message to the Loddon Herald: “We don’t have anything public to mention at this point in time.”
The Eagles have no right of appeal against Bendigo’s rejection, but it is expected that the club will apply again next year to move leagues and will persist in launching bids until eventually it is successful.
It is understood that Loddon Valley clubs, in contrast to the opposition to Marong’s bid, would have been prepared to endorse Maiden Gully’s transfer if the Bendigo league had accepted the Eagles.
It is understood that Macorna, which joined Loddon Valley this year after the Golden Rivers league folded, was one of the six clubs to vote to deny Marong’s departure. The Tigers, having experienced the collapse of one league, were said to be intent on keeping the Loddon competition as numerically strong as possible.
Bendigo has approved the departure of Gisborne to the Ballarat league for next season and wants Marong as its ninth club, with the league determined to eventually have a 10-team competition.
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