Finally united

It’s a momentous occasion in the history of football in the Alpine area, with the United Bright Football Netball Club and the Bright Junior Football Club officially set to become the one entity this week. At Wednesday’s annual general meeting for UBFNC, a special resolution will be passed to incorporate the junior football set-up under the banner of the senior club, presenting a truly united and uniform football netball club. The junior club voted unanimously to join the senior structure at their recent AGM, with the new-look UBFNC executive and committee to feature members of both enterprises. UBFNC vice-president Rob Love said the historic merger was a long time coming, and would help lay the foundations for the club’s future. “We’ll become the one club, the United Bright Football Netball Club. “It’s never happened, we’ve never had a united junior/senior club together, so it’s a pretty special day for the club.” The decision to combine senior and junior clubs into the single entity is largely due to the club’s ongoing desire to leave the Ovens and King Football Netball League and join a larger neighbouring competition, namely the Tallangatta and District Football League. The club tried to transfer out this year, initiating the process in June, but it was knocked back by an AFL North East Border appeals panel in late August. “The juniors have been the driving force between us moving to another competition, as has already been reported, and this is a step in that direction,” Love said. “If and when the day comes, it’s an easier transfer to transfer a whole club across as opposed to two entities. “That was something which was pointed out to us during the whole process, it was going to make things a little bit difficult than just a club transferring over because they’re a separate entity. “Dissolving the separate entity and going into the TDFL, for instance, would be a little bit more difficult than if we were the one club. “I don’t see it as much of a roadblock, but it was mentioned to us that it might’ve been a reason or part of a reason why we didn’t get across.” The club is also making moves to introduce under 11 and under 13 netball teams, making sure they’re best placed to join a larger neighbouring league when the time comes. Love said the club was still looking to leave the O&K, stating the club was “too big” to remain, and seeking long term security and growth. “Our club’s too big for the O&K – I know a lot of people can’t see it from the outside, but we’re way too big, and it is restricting what we can do as a club,” he said. “The focus will be for the betterment of our club, for the future of our club, we have to move to another competition. “We lose money on home games in the O&K – some teams can’t field seconds sides, some teams can’t field the full complement of netball sides, numbers are down and they don’t bring any support with them because they don’t have thirds or juniors playing before the game, so the gate takings are virtually non-existent. “Canteen’s down, bar’s down, all the things you try and make money out of on home days are non-existent except for our Easter round which is a big banker for us.” The UBFNC is Wednesday 28 October from 6pm at the Pioneer Park pavilion.

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