By Tara Murray
Melton South will hold a special general meeting to discuss how the club will look to move forward the next few years.
The Ballarat Football Netball League club posted on it’s website and social media pages that it would have the meeting for club members to discuss club structure and affiliation.
Panthers president Brendan Morrissey said they would have an open conversation about all aspects of the club. The meeting will be held on August 20.
He said the meeting didn’t necessarily mean they were looking to move leagues.
“We’ll talk about all aspects of the club,” he said. “Affiliation with the league, affiliation with and for the juniors, it’s what we need to do.
“We’re looking at everything from footy structures to where we are playing. It’s such an uneven playing field and it’s hard to get off the bottom.
“It’s about discovery and looking at what the club will look like in 10 years.”
Morrissey said they had spoken to neighbouring leagues and clubs to help get information of what the football environment will look like moving forward.
Among those who the club have spoken to is the Western Region and Riddell District football leagues and clubs from the Essendon District Football League.
Morrissey said the biggest concern for the club moving forward was the ability to retain their junior players.
He said clubs from neighbouring leagues were poaching young players with money offers they couldn’t match.
“We are losing juniors who are one pointers,” he said.
“They’re playing one season of seniors and are looking like bright talents, and then are offered money to go elsewhere.
“Other leagues around us have higher salary caps which makes it harder for us.”
Morrissey said the challenges were set to get harder with Melton and the surrounding areas growing and the possibility of new teams in the area.
He said as they were in the old part of town, they were unlikely to attract the new residents who would likely look at clubs closer to them which have newer and bigger facilities.
