Tara Murray
Deer Park and St Albans could be on the move next season to the Essendon District Football League.
The two clubs, which currently play in the Western Region Football League division 1 competition, presented to the EDFL board a number of weeks ago.
The league informed clubs on Friday that the EDFL board decided on Wednesday night that the league would accept both clubs applications to join our competition for season 2023.
While the league has accepted the applications of both sides, there is still a lot to happen before it is approved.
AFL Victoria and the WRFL are to be consulted before the admission is finalised. Leagues and AFL Victoria have the ability to block the move.
That was the case when Rupertswood, the most recent team to join the EDFL, tried to make the switch in late 2020. AFL Victoria later approved the move after a panel hearing.
If both clubs join the EDFL it will mean there is 30 clubs with senior men’s teams. Neither club had women’s sides this year.
For the WRFL it would be a blow, with both sides in the competition’s top division. Deer Park, which won a seventh straight premiership in 2019, made the semi final this year, knocked out by grand finals Werribee Districts.
St Albans finished in seventh with five wins.
The loss off those two teams would reduce the number of senior men’s clubs to 23.
WRFL chief executive Matthew Duck said the league is disappointed that the applications have been made from two valued clubs, but equally understand this is the community football landscape they operate in.
“Under the relevant AFL Victoria rules, the league has a period of ten business days to determine whether it will formally object to either-both applications, and will consider its position over this time.”
