The future of the Mudgee Dragons remains a talking point after the club failed to show at the Group 11 annual general meeting on Sunday, despite making contact with the board in the lead-up.
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Despite Mudgee president Sebastian Flack stating he was keen on a switch the Dragons still applied to stay in the neighbouring Group 10 at that competition's AGM earlier in the month.
However, they then submitted a list of conditions they wanted brought in for the 2020 Group 10 season.
Returning Group 11 secretary Paul Loxley revealed on Sunday an email he received from the Dragons last week stated the Mudgee club's application to Group 11 depended on the response to those conditions from Group 10.
As of the weekend the Dragons had not received a response so no representative from the club was at Sunday's meeting at the Dubbo RSL and no application was submitted.
But if we do get it [Mudgee application] we will look at it.
- Group 11 secretary Paul Loxley
"We'd love to have Mudgee," Loxley said.
"But under our rules club entries had to be in today [Sunday] so I'm not sure how we view it under the constitution."
Loxley went on to say it would be "incredible" to have the Dragons but added he and the board would not bow down to demands from a club not yet in the competition.
In the email sent to the Group 11 board the Dragons also stated they wanted "the winner of the major semi-final of your competition have the opportunity to host the grand final in 2020".
Loxley, while adding he would have the double check the competition by-laws, said the Group 11 board has decided the grand final venue in recent times.
Apex Oval has hosted each decider since 2012, due to the quality of that facility as well as the dominance and finals time success of Dubbo CYMS, while Mudgee also plays at one of the region's premier venues in Glen Willow Sporting Complex.
"If they come to play for Group 11 they play the way we do and we won't be dictated to," Loxley said of Mudgee.
"That proviso would have to be considered by the board but to have them in, have the diversity, and have the new blood would be great but we would also have to look at the travel.
"We travel enough as it is and Nyngan would lose both ways. They'd have the furthest to go away and then they'd pay more for referees at home so that's a consideration.
"But if we do get [a Mudgee application] we will look at it."
Mudgee's list of conditions submitted to Group 10 are believed to include neutral referees on grand final day, no spectators allowed on the field following a grand final, and one representative from each club to hold a position on the competition board.
The Dragons lost a drama-filled 2019 Group 10 grand final to Bathurst Panthers.
Ugly scenes after the end of extra-time, which saw Panthers secure a 9-8 win, resulted in three years worth of suspensions handed down to Mudgee club figures.
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