15/07/2022
BDT will leave the Mallee Football League at the end of the 2022 season to merge with Meningie.
The Mallee Football League and Mallee Netball Association club has signed an “in-principle” merger document with the River Murray Football League and River Murray Netball Association club.
The merger, once it has the tick of approval from the RMFL, RMNA, Netball SA and SANFL's Community Football League, will be in place for the 2023 season.
Border Downs Tintinara Sporting Association spokesperson Michael Kempe said yesterday that the BDT community was relieved that a decision had now been made to work towards implementation of the merger.
“Since we had our survey result… that indicated 85 per cent in favour of continuing merger talks with Meningie, we have had, probably, a couple of meetings (with Meningie) that have progressed quite quickly,” Mr Kempe said.
“That has happened over the past two to three weeks, and last night (Wednesday) we agreed on an in-principle merger document.”
Mr Kempe said he believed the official approval process would be without complications.
“We think that process is fairly straightforward because it is not another club entering the league, it is a modification of a club that is already in the RMFL,” he said.
Mallee Football League president Ken Schutz said BDT’s decision was no surprise.
Mr Schutz said the MFL was expected to revert to a five-team competition, with talks between MFL executive and club presidents on how to structure the competition without BDT to begin next week.
“As a league we need to be out there,” Mr Schutz said.
“Things are changing and we can’t just set something in place and expect that is what it is going to be like for the next 10 years.”
