News

The AFL second-tier review committee has presented five recommendations on the status and direction of the VFL.

Among the recommendations, approved by the AFL Commission and supported by AFL Victoria – the governing body of the VFL – are "alignments between AFL and

VFL clubs will continue to be a key component of elite football in the state".

There had been some exploration earlier this year of a national reserves competition that would replace the various-state based competitions, including the VFL, which would have put grave doubt over the future of the Bendigo Bombers.

However, a national reserves competition has now been ruled out, and the review committee recommendations support Bendigo's alignment with Essendon.

"We were never worried because we thought it was heading this way from all the feedback we've been getting along the way," Bendigo

Bombers' acting general manager Peter Lodewijks said yesterday.

Essendon's hierarchy has reiterated several times in The Advertiser this year it's support of the present VFL system and it's alignment with Bendigo, which is locked in for another two years.

"We like the current status and think it's the best position for football," Essendon chairman Peter Horsburgh said on April 19.

And managing director Peter Jackson made his intentions clear on June 24 that Essendon was committed to Bendigo for the long-term.

"Our vision very much is this is going to grow Bendigo football; it might take 20 years for all the benefits of having a VFL team here to filter through the local competition and the community, but it will," Jackson said.

AFL Victoria chief executive officer Peter Schwab said the recommendations, which would now form the basis for further investigations expected to be completed by the middle of next year, did not rule out AFL clubs from fielding stand-alone teams in the VFL.

It has been reported Carlton will end its alignment with the Northern Bullants and field its own VFL team next year, while it's also understood Collingwood is conducting a review into whether it should field its own VFL team.

"Our preference is for no changes to the VFL in 2008 and we are still very supportive of all the current VFL clubs continuing," Schwab said.

Another of the recommendations focussed on the relationship between VFL and TAC Cup sides, and integrating them to form "one regionally based talent entity".

It's a recommendation that Lodewijks says excites the Bombers.

"We're really looking forward to seeing how that will work with the Bendigo Pioneers," Lodewijks said.

"We're excited by the recommendation because I'm not saying we don't have a healthy relationship with the Pioneers now, but in time, it could make it really strong."

Pioneers regional manager Ray Byrne described a strengthening of the relationship between the Bombers and Pioneers as "good for football in the Bendigo region".

The Bombers will be joining the Pioneers in their new headquarters to be built over the next 14 weeks at Golden Square football ground.