The bid appears one of the last options for the Bulldogs to find a place to play football and netball in 2019.

Smythesdale has been left without a home after being closed off by the Central Highlands and Maryborough Castlemaine District competitions.

Mininera and District Football League chairperson John Box confirmed talks were underway between the Bulldogs and his board, which will continue over the coming week.

Box said he had meetings planned with AFL Western District general manager Kate Williamson, the League board and the MDFL clubs, where the Bulldogs’ transfer request would be discussed further.

He said Smythesdale had made several enquiries about a possible move last season and that those talks had gathered momentum in recent weeks.

“Over the weekend the president (John Cranny) gave me a ring and sent me an email with how they could fit into the Mininera league,” Box said.

“As a league president, I hate country clubs closing - I think it’s terrible...”

Box said ultimately he was only one voice in the process and that the Mininera and District clubs would have the say in whether or not Smythesdale is allowed to make the move.

He said the travel to and from Smythesdale was the main issue facing his clubs.

From Smythesdale, a trip to take on Hawkesdale-Macarthur in Macarthur would take about two hours.

That would be the longest drive for a current Mininera and District club.

On the flip side, it’s only about half an hour for the trip between Lismore – where Lismore-Derrinallum plays some of its home games – and Smythesdale.

There is currently 12 clubs in the Mininera and District league, which only features one grade of junior football (under-16.5).

The aligned netball association has six divisions – three senior and three junior.

After years of struggling in the Central Highlands league, the Bulldogs attempted to make the shift to the Maryborough Castlemaine District competition at the end of the 2018 season.

That move was denied by MCDFNL clubs and then at an AFL Goldfields appeal.

Following that, Central Highlands president Eddy Comelli declared the option of returning to his league was off the table.

The club joined the Central Highlands competition in 2011 as Illabarook.

The move came after the Lexton Plains league folded and rebranded to Smythesdale in 2014.

The Bulldogs have not been able to field a senior football team during the past two seasons.