(from left) Yoogali SC's Ryan Spencer, Hanwood FC's Daniel Draskovic and Wests' Lewis Hancock all in RPL action this season.
THE future of the Regional Premier League is hanging by a thread after a crisis meeting involving all 10 clubs last night in Cobram saw talks break down.
Clubs were summoned to try and resurrect the season after all but one of the games last weekend were boycotted, with the four Griffith teams standing firm over a perceived uneven playing field.
The original point of conjecture stems from administrative body Goulburn North East Football Association's failure to include a bylaw in its RPL Rules of Competition, outlining a league-specific transfer and new player registrations deadline.
The universal deadline of June 30 was agreed to before the season, and was a major point of concern for all Griffith sides if they were to sign on with the RPL competition.
But two Victorian clubs took advantage of the loop-hole to sign players outside of the RPL window, eliciting an appeal from Hanwood FC, that local administrators said was not even acknowledged, leading to a boycott of all but one of last weekend's games.
The four Griffith club presented the meeting with points they would like addressed including the standing down of players signed after June 30 and also a change to the finals series draw as compensation.
"One Griffith club will finish fifth regardless of results, and whoever did get fifth was going to get a home semi-final, we were promised that," Hanwood FC president Jason Restagno said.
"And then some of the board members reneged on their deal, I thought it was a done deal and the meeting last night was just to tell everybody what was happening."
The Area News understands the Victorian clubs will be holding another meeting tonight, with more information set to be revealed tomorrow as to whether the RPL will continue at all.
See Friday's The Area News for the latest in the RPL saga.
