From The Age
Reported by Brent Diamond
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ESSENDON appears likely to ditch its VFL partner, the Bendigo Bombers, and enter a stand-alone team in the competition next season.
The Dons, whose affiliation with Bendigo expires at the end of the season, are expected to join Geelong and Collingwood as stand-alone VFL clubs. It is a decision that would put Bendigo at risk of folding in the VFL due to its shallow talent pool.
"We've been looking at different models and stand-alone is one of them," Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said.
"Our first aim is to review what our options are and we're in discussions with our Bendigo group, that's where we're at at the moment."
It is understood Essendon is frustrated at seeing its fringe senior players, most recently Scott Lucas, Brent Prismall, Andrew Welsh and Darcy Daniher, compete in a team that is being beaten by large margins.
The alignment is also seen to be one of the more fragile in the competition, according to insiders at Essendon.
The travel factor has also been problematic for the players and coaches, and is "hard work", according to coach Adrian Hickmott.
"I travel up here every second week," Hickmott said.
"I keep saying to these blokes, it's like going to Western Australia."
After eight rounds, the winless Bendigo Bombers are on the bottom of the VFL ladder with a percentage of 48.75, having twice lost by 100 points or more.
They lost by 112 points to Sandringham on Sunday.
"No one likes losing, but it's not the No. 1 criteria," Hamilton said.
"We're certainly happy with getting into the market of Bendigo and the community up there but there are other areas that we'd also have to look at."
AFL Victoria chief executive Peter Schwab said there weren't criteria in place for a set number of AFL teams that could stand alone in the VFL, but he said all teams had to apply through AFLV.
While AFLV holds the cards in shutting down such applications, the VFL has the potential to grow into an AFL reserves competition in future years if AFL clubs prefer to go down the stand-alone path.
A partnership with financially stricken Frankston is also a possibility for the Bombers, with the second-last Dolphins desperate for financial help and success.
Essendon will decide in August on its future in the VFL.
Bendigo chairman David Joss said it would be a challenge for the team to remain viable in the VFL if it parted ways with the Bombers.
"It would certainly be a challenge for the talent pool that's available to us," Joss said. "We did recruit really hard, but the reality is the Bendigo market isn't great in attracting talent."
He said the club was also reviewing its situation after "a disappointing start to the season".
"We're looking at all options and that's (splitting with Essendon) got to be one," Joss said. "But the reality is that AFL Victoria mightn't accept any more stand-alone AFL clubs in the VFL."
