The Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) is set to merge with its netball counterpart (EDNA), and will form the new EDFNL.
It’s hoped the amalgamation will bring more coordination between football and netball fixtures, so clubs can play at the same location and dates with less hassle.
“I just have such a huge belief that this will benefit the league and its members,” EDNA Vice President Rachel Ronaldson said.
The new Board of Management will be made up of five elected officials, with a President at the top.
A Director of Football and a Director of Netball will be elected to the BoM and be in control of separate sub-committees. A Director of Sponsorship and Finance will also sit on the board along with a Director of Media and Special Events.
The football and netball sub-committees will be led by the Director, and have a Secretary, an Umpire Coordinator, and a Coach/Player Development Coordinator. They will be in charge of “ground-level” operations for each sport.
The BoM will ultimately have the final call on decisions but will respond to recommendations from their respective sub-committees.
A League Secretary and League Treasurer will also be elected.
EDFL President Roger Gwynne said the designated roles will make it easier on the league’s volunteers.
“It will take the pressure off a lot of people because each position will have a designated task and if they stick to those tasks, it will work brilliantly,” he said.
After a difficult two years with COVID cancelling most local sport, Gwynne says “we’ve got to make decisions probably daily with this COVID-19…and now the netball will be involved with those decisions”.
The EDNA Vice President agrees and said it will bring a streamlined process to clubs as they provide input on decisions.
“It will also take the pressure off club members and club delegates who don’t need to fill out 1000 surveys and COVID related things to be able to come to a decision for the entire league,” Ronaldson said.
Applications to apply for the EDFNL positions are now open. The EDFL President is encouraging people of all ages to apply.
“We’d like to see more young people get onto these BoM’s and sub-committee’s…a lot of us have been around a long time and we can’t keep going forever,” he said.
Submissions close at the end of the month.