Maryborough Football Netball Club's future will almost certainly be outside the BFNL.
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Reports this week have surfaced that the Magpies have lodged expressions of interest to join two district competitions as it explores potential new homes for 2025 and beyond.
These leagues are the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League and Central Highlands Football League.
The Magpies are keeping multiple avenues open by showing interest in both leagues, but their preferred destination is the MCDFNL, as President Scott Quinlan told the Bendigo Advertiser in a Q&A in early June.
"If we're going to go into a district league, then it makes sense that we'd look to go into the Maryborough-Castlemaine league, given it's the heartbeat of the town," Quinlan said.
A week after that Q&A, the Magpies held a members' and supporters' vote on their future.
MCDFNL operations manager Tayla Banham told the Bendigo Advertiser on Wednesday morning that the Magpies had sent a general expression of interest in joining the competition.
The MCDFNL board is currently gathering the thoughts of its clubs on the potential introduction of what would be a 14th team into the league before meeting with the Magpies next week.
The Magpie's other option is the CHFL.
Speaking to Australian Community Media earlier this week, CHFL president Doug Hobson said the Magpies have expressed the same interest to join the CHFL.
However, Hobson also stated in his correspondence with the struggling club that their preference was to join the MCDFNL, but all options are being investigated.
Should the Magpies decide to go down the CHFL path and garner the necessary majority of support from existing clubs, it will take the league to an 18 team competition.
If the Magpies are successful in their applications, the BFNL will be reduced to an eight-team competition in 2025.
BFNL chair Carol McKinstry has previously stated they would not stand in the way of the Magpies in the event they decide to depart major league footy.
*McKinstry and Quinlan have been unavailable for comment so far.*
