By David Nagel
THE Devon Meadows Football Club has a new lease of life after the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (MPNFL)approved the club’s request to transfer from the Casey Cardinia competition to the Nepean league in the coming season.
An email was sent to all clubs under the MPNFL banner at 4pm last Tuesday explaining the board’s decision to pass a resolution that the Devon Meadows Football Club be given permission to transfer leagues.
Both the CCFL and NFL will play a 16 round competition in 2012 before reverting to an 18 round competition in 2013.
Devon Meadows president Allan King was a happy man the day after the decision.
“As a club we’re very happy with the way the whole process was handled by the league and the other clubs, it’s the culmination of a lot of hard work,” a relieved King said.
“I feel like I’ve been to 100 meetings in recent times with a lot of different people.
“There was a lot of understanding and consideration given to our situation, we put in a late application but everyone has been extremely helpful, it’s a real credit to all involved.
“It’s the best thing for our club and we really do appreciate everyone’s assistance.
“Our survival was at stake.”
King said there were numerous reasons why the club requested the shift to the Nepean league but it was the overall package that was appealing.
“We’re better suited to the Nepean league, with our town size and the capacity of Devon Meadows it’s just a much better fit.
“We sit comfortably alongside towns like Tyabb, Red Hill, Crib Point and Langwarrin whereas it was real struggle to compete with bigger towns along the highway like Cranbourne and Narre Warren.
For King and his committee, not a lot changes, they still have to deal with the behind the scenes issues and the day to day challenges that face clubs these days.
For senior coach Brent Clinnick however, it’s a different story altogether. He now needs to do his homework on a complete new set of faces.
“It’s great to get the green light and it’s a massive step for the club but it would be a foolish man to think it’s a drop down in standard,” Clinnick said.
“It’s exciting to be playing new faces and building new rivalries but we’re under no illusions as to what’s ahead of us.
“We won’t know where we stand until we settle into the league and play all the teams a couple of times.”
Clinnick has a young list at his disposal and hopes the change in leagues won’t give his players a false sense of security or change the impressive work rate that he has seen to date. 65 players turned out for the club’s opening training session and an average of 46 have taken part in the club’s five sessions to date.
“We’ve got a lot of young players and we’re still starting from a long way back, we’re taking baby steps but having said that there are some major positives for the club,” he said.
“It brings our junior and senior clubs into alignment, we’ve had junior success in recent times but had trouble translating that to senior footy, there’s a lot of fallout from playing in different leagues.
“It certainly gives the club light at the end of the tunnel but we need to grasp this opportunity and build from here.”
