Bendigo FL discussion 2026

[Trent from barwon Heads]

Sounds like that’s exactly why they appealed. Makes sense to me to be honest - concerned that the creation of a 2nd club in town would potentially impact the pathway from KFNC juniors to KFNC seniors for females - then of course they should be doing what they can do support a club that already exists with their constituency. I’m just guessing here, but I’d think there’s nowhere near enough young female juniors in the town to support 2 senior teams long term.

Shouldn't we be trying to get as many people to play as possible? If they think they can get a team, let them go and the game might grow

 

[Jack Doolan]

Shouldn't we be trying to get as many people to play as possible? If they think they can get a team, let them go and the game might grow

Can’t agree there’s only enough women in the town playing for one team and the footy club runs all the junior girls
The AFL can’t possibly allow another team to form to take all their kids

 

[Mad Jack]

Shouldn't we be trying to get as many people to play as possible? If they think they can get a team, let them go and the game might grow

Each to their own, but in my view, i think it’s reasonable for RDFL to stick up for one of its lieutenants. It’s what I’d want if someone else waltzed in and tried to take over my patch.

 

[Trent from barwon Heads]

Can’t agree there’s only enough women in the town playing for one team and the footy club runs all the junior girls
The AFL can’t possibly allow another team to form to take all their kids

How do you know if you dont try? Let them play and if they dont have numbers they wont play.

Thats a bit like saying if someone wants to open a new bar or supermarket in Kyneton, they cant because the existing pub or supermarket objects. The world doesnt operate like that, we should be pushing as many avenues as possible for all kids and adults to participate in our great game

 

[Mad Jack]

How do you know if you dont try? Let them play and if they dont have numbers they wont play.

Thats a bit like saying if someone wants to open a new bar or supermarket in Kyneton, they cant because the existing pub or supermarket objects. The world doesnt operate like that, we should be pushing as many avenues as possible for all kids and adults to participate in our great game

You’d need council approval to open a new supermarket or pub, and for a period of time it’d be open to public objections. Similar to what’s happened here.

 

[Jack Doolan]

How do you know if you dont try? Let them play and if they dont have numbers they wont play.

Thats a bit like saying if someone wants to open a new bar or supermarket in Kyneton, they cant because the existing pub or supermarket objects. The world doesnt operate like that, we should be pushing as many avenues as possible for all kids and adults to participate in our great game

Because it happened last year they all left Kyneton to form a new team and ended up playing as Gisborne
Kyneton ended up with no team because there wasn’t enough who stayed to be able to form a team

 

[rkjc22]

RDFL appealed which they were entitled to do. As I understand it, the basis of the appeal was that it would be potentially detrimental to one of their constituents, that being Kyneton FNC. So in essence, they did the right thing in appealing. It wasn’t their choice to uphold the appeal, they simply lodged it. They obviously made valid reasons in their objection to have the arbitrator decide to uphold.
From the outside, there seems a trend. Knocked back twice by RDFL, once by Ballarat, once (for 2025 season) by CVFL. So it’s not just RDFL that should be pigeonholed as the roadblock, there’s been others as well.

Its interesting because if I wrote about Gisborne"

BFNL appealed which they were entitled to do. As I understand it, the basis of the appeal was that it would be potentially detrimental to their league and the rest of their constituents,. So in essence, they did the right thing in appealing. It wasn’t their choice to uphold the appeal, they simply lodged it. They obviously made valid reasons in their objection to have the arbitrator decide to uphold.

How many here would agree?

 

[Trent from barwon Heads]

Exactly, you cant just say its okay for Kyneton and the league to appeal, but different to the bfl and gisborne

 

[Jack Doolan]

The league was absolutely correct to appeal Gisborne and the clubs would have wanted them to do so but the AFL shouldn’t have upheld it because the league created the problems and it’s harder to run a club than a league
In this case Kyneton seem to have been unfairly maligned by the defecting women and are rightfully being supported by their league

 

[rkjc22]

The league was absolutely correct to appeal Gisborne and the clubs would have wanted them to do so but the AFL shouldn’t have upheld it because the league created the problems and it’s harder to run a club than a league
In this case Kyneton seem to have been unfairly maligned by the defecting women and are rightfully being supported by their league

The women are arguing the club and the league made the problem.

Reading their socials the women made multiple attempts to mediate and got met with stonewalls.

 

[Mad Jack]

Its interesting because if I wrote about Gisborne"

BFNL appealed which they were entitled to do. As I understand it, the basis of the appeal was that it would be potentially detrimental to their league and the rest of their constituents,. So in essence, they did the right thing in appealing. It wasn’t their choice to uphold the appeal, they simply lodged it. They obviously made valid reasons in their objection to have the arbitrator decide to uphold.

How many here would agree?

I think it’s a bit of comparing apples with oranges, and you’ve changed a few key words in my post, but I see where you’re coming from.
I’ve no issue with the process at all that forced Gisborne to stay. The conditions were followed, by all parties, and a conclusion was reached.
The difference being for me, after kicking and screaming, Gisborne have eventually sucked it up, accepted the umpires decision (clearly very reluctantly) and moved on (for now).

 

[rkjc22]

I think it’s a bit of comparing apples with oranges, and you’ve changed a few key words in my post, but I see where you’re coming from.
I’ve no issue with the process at all that forced Gisborne to stay. The conditions were followed, by all parties, and a conclusion was reached.
The difference being for me, after kicking and screaming, Gisborne have eventually sucked it up, accepted the umpires decision (clearly very reluctantly) and moved on (for now).

Yes, because its not exactly the same scenario so I changed the words to fit it.

I think the difference for me is that Gisborne still have a league to play in. Kyneton Women's dont. Bendigo appealed because they want Gisborne in their league, RDFL appealed because they dont want the club to exist.

And really your point makes no sense. Gisborne have only just recently accepted it, Kyneton Women still have a month or two before they reach the same amount of time Gisborne took disputing it.

 

[rkjc22]

And while I'm here whats happening in country footy? One chair abuses someone as they accept a premiership medal, another claims a team is grooming.

Where's AFL Vic? Leadership void is unreal.

 

[Trent from barwon Heads]

Because it happened last year they all left Kyneton to form a new team and ended up playing as Gisborne
Kyneton ended up with no team because there wasn’t enough who stayed to be able to form a team

Hows that anyone's problem, Kyneton women want a team, whys it need to be affilated to the men? Theyve got ground approval, if they can pay their bills, why are we stopping women from playing?

You blokes need to have a good hard look in the mirror, if carol had made this call, there'd be calls for a public hanging, because its your beloved rdfl which you guys seem to think is the best run league in the state, even though all you have to compare is the bfl, it must be correct.

At the end of the day we want more people playing, not creating hurdles, if it fails, than they only have themselves to blame

 

[Mad Jack]

Yes, because its not exactly the same scenario so I changed the words to fit it.

I think the difference for me is that Gisborne still have a league to play in. Kyneton Women's dont. Bendigo appealed because they want Gisborne in their league, RDFL appealed because they dont want the club to exist.

And really your point makes no sense. Gisborne have only just recently accepted it, Kyneton Women still have a month or two before they reach the same amount of time Gisborne took disputing it.

Kyneton women have been kicking and screaming for a lot longer than Gisborne did. If I recall correctly it was months ago they tried their hardest to tear their former club apart. That’s where my point was coming from.

 

[Mad Jack]

Hows that anyone's problem, Kyneton want women's team want a team, whys it need to be affilated to the men? Theyve got ground approval, if they can pay their bills, why are we stopping women from playing?

You blokes need to have a good hard look in the mirror, if carol had made this call, there'd be calls for a public hanging, because its your beloved rdfl which you guys seem to think is the best run league in the state, even though all you have to compare is the bfl, it must be correct.

At the end of the day we want more people playing, not creating hurdles, if it fails, than they only have themselves to blame

The ones to blame for stopping these women playing, to me, are the ringleaders that decided they had the power to run their own race, start a new club, and just waltz on into wherever they felt like it, on their terms. They’ve fallen in a hole, been given reasons why the appeal was upheld (which is a luxury not many if any others have got when going through the appeals process), haven’t agreed with the reasons they’ve been given (which is completely fine to disagree), and now (and not for the first time), they’ve got personal.
I’ve got no dog in the fight whatsoever, just opinions like everyone else, which I’m happy to share. Also happy for others to have their opinions.
Anyway, that’ll do me on this topic I reckon.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

If everyone up and left last year to play elsewhere , isn’t it evident they don’t want to play senior woman’s footy at that club ?
Blocking the new identity is unlikely to see the players return , the players will just move away again at worst and player fall out will increase .


This isnt going to help .

Herald Sun -Brayden May

The Kyneton Women's Football Club made its format complaint to the AFL integrity unit on Monday morning after Riddell District Football


Netball League president (RDFNL) Brenton


Knott allegedly told the supporter "it's not about footy, it's about grooming and gender weirdness"

 

[Hermes70]

If everyone up and left last year to play elsewhere , isn’t it evident they don’t want to play senior woman’s footy at that club ?
Blocking the new identity is unlikely to see the players return , the players will just move away again at worst and player fall out will increase .


This isnt going to help .

Herald Sun -Brayden May

The Kyneton Women's Football Club made its format complaint to the AFL integrity unit on Monday morning after Riddell District Football


Netball League president (RDFNL) Brenton


Knott allegedly told the supporter "it's not about footy, it's about grooming and gender weirdness"

Did anyone ask the president if he “actually said” this?

 

[rkjc22]

Kyneton women have been kicking and screaming for a lot longer than Gisborne did. If I recall correctly it was months ago they tried their hardest to tear their former club apart. That’s where my point was coming from.

Except when this last happened to them they "eventually sucked it up, accepted the umpires decision (clearly very reluctantly) and moved on (until now)."

If Gisborne get knocked back again will you be demanding they get over it almost immediately?

 

[rkjc22]

Did anyone ask the president if he “actually said” this?

They've posted a screenshot of his message to someone.

 

[Hermes70]

They've posted a screenshot of his message to someone.

AI doctored, allegedly , apparently legal incoming.

 

[hansie]

Thing for me around all this is the vengeance element apparently from the women’s side. 99.99% of clubs coexist peacefully- meanwhile kyneton are openly at war. It’s disingenuous of the women to make demands of the club - which has existed for over 100 years as a men’s club and make it all happen overnight then get petty and personal when it’s quite reasonably put down. Women are an important part of a footy netball club in so many ways but asking to train tues thurs and be paid equally is ludicrous imho unless they can prove to be capable of generating sufficient support/revenue

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Did anyone ask the president if he “actually said” this?

My point was that the matter is being played out in the media and has reached the point of allegations in social media.
The only assertion I can draw is that it should have been negotiated and resolved a time long ago .
Pretty much telling the women to sit down and shut up and hoping they’ll go away is poor and foolish.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Thing for me around all this is the vengeance element apparently from the women’s side. 99.99% of clubs coexist peacefully- meanwhile kyneton are openly at war. It’s disingenuous of the women to make demands of the club - which has existed for over 100 years as a men’s club and make it all happen overnight then get petty and personal when it’s quite reasonably put down. Women are an important part of a footy netball club in so many ways but asking to train tues thurs and be paid equally is ludicrous imho unless they can prove to be capable of generating sufficient support/revenue

Are these going to be achieved if they are within their own club ?
‘ asking to train tues thurs and be paid equally ‘
If not, I’m respectfully not buying that these are core issues and if they are achievable , then why can’t they be achieved within the one combined club ?
I figure there is more to this .

 

[Doona2]

I figure there is more to this .

Having functioned around the local female footy space most recently ... there most certainly is