The Mininera and District Football League is busy preparing for its 2018 season with some topical issues still yet to be finalised.
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The junior football participation conundrum has yet to be finalised with the league lining towards keeping the status quo of under-12 and under-16.5 competitions.
League chairman John Box said there was still yet to be a final decision with a final consultation set with clubs for early in the new year.
“We are still a bit up in the air about junior football but I think the eight clubs will manage to field teams which is the main thing,” he said.
“We are thinking about having a forum early next year with all the clubs to finalise it all but as it stands, I cannot see it changing for next season.
“The majority of clubs wanted to keep it at 16.5 and a couple wanted to move it up to under-17.”
The under-12 games might be tweaked to allow more time for the players to spend on the ground.
A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday night at Lake Bolac to finalise plans for the new salary cap which will be enforced next season.
The league is also searching for a new board member after David Wade stepped down from the role.
Wade has been a regular member of the board for more than 10 years and will leave a lasting legacy on the game.
Box said Wade’s contribution to the game and the league was appreciated.
“David has provided excellence service for the league over many years but he will still stay involved through minor roles.
“He will still do three or four things for us, but will still do the odd job here and there but he will not be involved at the same level he previously was.”
Box said he has an idea of who he thinks could fill the void but encouraged anyone that was interested to put their hand up.
“If anyone wants to put their name up to take on the role, they are more than welcome to get involved,” he said.
“I have put three names up to the board, but we are still discussing options for next season.”
The 2018 fixture is also set to be released in the coming weeks following the Wimmera league’s announcement.
Box said he does not anticipate any drastic changes to the format with the season set to remain at 17 rounds for 2018.
The meeting in Lake Bolac will start at 6.30pm on Wednesday.
