There’s a big and prolonged fight looming with Gisborne Football Netball Club taking on the AFL Victoria powerhouse — with the Bulldogs insisting they won’t have a bar of playing in the Bendigo League next season.
Yes, there was an AFL Grand Final on Saturday, but in the lead-up Gisborne club president Tony Brancatisano told the Express there was no way the Bulldogs were about to back down.
What has irked the Bulldogs is the decision announced last week that the Bendigo League’s appeal against Gisborne joining up with the Ballarat League next season has been upheld.
As a result, Gisborne will remain an affiliated member of the Bendigo League for the 2026 season and beyond, Bendigo League manager Tom King explained.
King described the decision as a positive outcome for the league, which looks forward to Gisborne continuing as a highly valued member.
“The GFNC holds a strong reputation both on and off the field and continues to bring great value to our competitions.”
Ballarat Football Netball League, which strongly favoured Gisborne becoming its newest member, is disappointed with the decision and has vowed to continue to liaise with the Bulldogs. All Ballarat League clubs, apart from Redan, want Gisborne to come on board.
A recent plebiscite of Gisborne club members and players voted 193 to 20 in favour of joining Ballarat.
Delivering the Mayor’s Report at Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s meeting on Wednesday night, Cr Dom Bonanno referred to the decision preventing Gisborne FNC going to the Ballarat League.
He said there would be a lot of disappointed people around Gisborne and in the football netball club, particularly in view of the recent survey result from GFNC members and players.
VIABILITY AT STAKE
Brancatisano, a keen club member for 10 years, stepped up to the presidency at the last annual meeting, replacing long-serving leader John Wood.
He’s used to hands-on work and long hours helping the Bulldogs, and said the committee was united in its desire to cross to Ballarat.
“The club was broke 10 years ago …. our turnover for the last six months was around the $600,000 to $650,000 mark.”
He emphasised the need for the community-based club to be viable, and said legal advice was being obtained to ensure the fight on this issue was on very firm ground.
“Our footballers and netballers don’t want to go to Bendigo virtually every second Saturday … the Bendigo-based clubs only have to come down here once. It’s not fair,” he said.
He said Gisborne’s biggest attendance had been at a practise match against old rival Sunbury.
“Times have changed,” he declared, questioning the capacity of the Bendigo FNL board of management and AFL Victoria to fully understand just what was at stake.
He went as far to suggest the BFNL board should “step down”.
Gisborne held its annual presentation night on Thursday at Taylors Lakes.
Brancatisano said he had briefly mentioned the club’s plight, but the main emphasis was on enjoying the time and congratulating all those who had won awards for the 2025 season.
He also said there had been an upsurge of media interest, both from state-wide, provincial and more localised outlets.
