Pakenham Football Club is patiently awaiting its fate with a vote to be made this week on its future for 2026 and beyond.
The club pitched itself to the board and clubs of the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) last Wednesday night in Warragul, seeking a potential move to the competition next year.
The meeting was well-received from the board members present, impressed by the open-mindedness and enthusiasm of Pakenham to embrace the new opportunity.
Pakenham has already shown its ability to embrace change and be respectful of a new environment, with positive feedback from opposition clubs in president Salv Mileto’s first season at the helm.
Four people delivered the presentation and copies were given to every existing WGFNC club.
“The positive side of it was our presentation, it was everything we needed to say,” Mileto said.
“They were impressed with little gestures that help towards a cause.
“We were there of course to sell ourselves, but also (preached) what we could bring the competition within netball and football.
“One of our selling points was that when clubs come (to play us) we embrace them.
“We always welcome them, if they need anything we’re here.”
Netball president Marg Jones also spoke in the meeting, reiterating the structure of West Gippsland as a major benefit to the netball club.
She noted that the decision was about positively moving forward and rekindling relationships.
“We made a presentation and we’re really proud of it,” Jones said.
“We put a fantastic video together about capturing who Pakenham is and our community spirit.
“The West Gippsland Competition provides the perfect structure, uniting football and netball at the same venue and on the same day.”
For the Lions and their higher-ups, nothing more can be done except remain patient with anticipation after the club’s pitch.
In the meantime, the club has reflected on what it would mean to return to the league of its roots, one where the club has grown and seen success.
Pakenham was a founding member of the West Gippsland Competition, winning regular premierships in its time in the league from 1926 to 2001.
But there are a plethora of reasons why Pakenham is seeking to return to the competition.
Firstly, the same-day structure aligned between netball and football is important to the club.
“The structure suits us with netball and football,” Mileto said.
“The whole structure they’ve got and the demographic for travelling down that way really suits us.”
Of course, the reduced journeys to away games is also an appeal.
Current Outer East matchups with Yea, Yarra Junction, Powelltown and Alexandra have meant long travels for the Lions since being relegated from Outer East Premier Division last year.
The club is also heavily motivated by what it would mean for the competition if the club was to be accepted.
The Lions hold many longstanding rivalries with old enemies Nar Nar Goon, Garfield, Drouin (if it also was to be accepted into WGFNC), Kooweerup and Tooradin-Dalmore.
“The really respectful rivalries are there,” Mileto said of Pakenham in WGFNC.
“The rivalries that are a respectful thing will bring back all these older members that will come back to watch these rivalry games.
“We’ll have a lot of spectators come down that don’t have to travel as far.
“It will be a positive thing for these clubs.”
Mileto cited a night game earlier this season when the Lions faced Belgrave at Toomuc Reserve under lights, which saw old players and members from when the club was a part of WGFNC attend.
This is something the club wishes to replicate as those old players have a connection to the West Gippsland competition.
In terms of on-field success, Pakenham is still very much a club rebuilding.
The majority of the players are between the ages of 18 and 21 with the coaching staff – led by senior coach Justin Stanton – new to the Lions’ colours.
“We’ve really got some great coaches,” Mileto said of his senior football side.
“That’s one of the positives we sold (in the Wednesday pitch), we’ve got a young list and we haven’t bought players to buy a premiership, we’re internal.
“That’s including netball, we’re all together.
“The on-field side is we’ve got a young side, we’ve got great coaches and these guys have really taken it on board to build our young brigade.”
It wasn’t all about the positives that Pakenham would bring, there were also some assumptions to squash and rebuttal required from the club.
One of the major concerns of the club entering WGFNC was the size of the town and the strength of the juniors.
While it was important to acknowledge this concern, Pakenham is confident that it brings a positive influence into the competition.
The one question mark surrounding the future of the club is the women’s football program.
As it stands, there is no West Gippsland Women’s competition, with the Gippsland League the closest option.
Everything hinges on Wednesday night’s verdict, but if it were to be accepted, the destination of the women’s team is still unknown.
From there, the decision will be between either the aforementioned Gippsland League with Nar Nar Goon, Moe Newborough, Lindenow South and Boisdale-Briagolong or a transition to the Southern League.
Pakenham recently met with Outer East and the Eastern Football League to further discuss implications.
The vote will be Wednesday night, July 23, at 7pm at the Bass Recreation Reserve with all WGFNC clubs to decide if Drouin, Officer and Pakenham will enter the competition in 2026.
There is a total number of 22 votes (11 football and 11 netball) and the clubs need 17 to be accepted.
The vote could potentially take WGFNC one step closer to divisional football.
