O’Keefe spoke openly about his disappointment in the proposed changes which would see eight Central Highlands clubs and Maryborough Castlemaine District clubs Trentham and Lexton leave their competitions to create a third league.

Learmonth is a unique case. Most clubs’ football and netball standards go hand-in-hand, with many of the stronger football clubs also boasting high-performing netball grades.

But for Learmonth, it’s senior football side sits outside the eight and has not played finals since 2014. Whereas it’s netball team has already booked a spot in the preliminary final and has occupied a position in the top four for many years.

The fellow seven clubs proposed to move sit in the bottom seven of the CHFL as well as being outside the top eight in the CHNL.

O’Keefe said some of his players had already given an indication if this was to go forward they would leave to pursue a better standard of netball, and he did not rule out doing similar.

“I don’t believe netball is taken into consideration for these decisions,” he said.

“I’ve already had a number of my A grade side say if this is where things end up we won’t be interested in playing. And personally, as a coach, I would question if I would be interested in committing to the club if we moved to another league...it’s a catch-22, we’re strong now, but if we’re forced to move we won’t be strong and therefore we will be commended in a lower league.”

AFL Goldfields general manager Rod Ward stressed that netball was taken into consideration, but the football department was the driving force behind decisions. He also outlined that these proposals were only a draft as it complies club feedback.

“We absolutely recognise that country football and netball go hand-in-hand...fundamentally, we’ve taken a view, if a club does not have a sustainable football side, then it’s going to place at risk all other sides they field,” Ward said.