The latest proposal to lure the O and M under the AFLNEB umbrella in 2019 is expected to be handed to the league ahead of meetings of its board of directors and the presidents and delegates of its 10-member clubs – both scheduled next week.

An initial proposal was presented last November, but was rejected by the O and M.

The Border Mail has previously reported sticking points include its sponsorship with the SS&A Club, the fate of its two full-time staff members beyond this season and how much the O and M will pay AFLNEB.

Next week’s meetings are the first time the board and club chiefs have been officially briefed on the meeting at Bungaree last month attended by league chairman David Sinclair and his deputy Kim Odewahn.

Sinclair has joined a sub-committee appointed at the end of the Bungaree meeting to fight moves for leagues to roll over and join AFL regional administration centres (RAC).

Sinclair will attend a meeting of sub-committee representatives and AFL Victoria chief executive Steve Reaper in the next fortnight.

The leagues which attended the Bungaree meeting are united in their push to retain their own administration set-ups.

Complicating the O and M situation is the league being involved in a working party led by Gavin Cator trying to bring the O and M and AFLNEB together.

“At some point in time we will have to consider whether we continue negotiations with AFLNEB in relation to contracting to them administration of the O and M or continue with the current administration structure that has served us well in the past,” Sinclair said.

“If that’s where it ends up we will have to deal with the implications that flow from that’.

AFL Victoria reserves the right to withdraw services including access to player insurance if a league elects to stay outside the integrated administration model.

The most recent attempt to bring the O and M into the AFLNEB regional administration centre was two years ago when the O and M was in the market for a general manager.

AFL Victoria has subsequently ruled all leagues must be part of a regional administration centre by the end of 2018.

AFLNEB general manager John O’Donohue declined to comment on the status of talks between the two parties.

Meanwhile, the Picola and District Football-Netball League is again refusing to sign an affiliation agreement with AFL Goulburn-Murray which could lead to the governing body starting up another competition.

The Murray Football-Netball League’s preferred option is also to retain its own administration.

“We will be signing an affiliation agreement with AFL Victoria and the Goulburn-Murray commission for this year, but won’t be signing up to services from the RAC,” MFL general manager Dale Norman said.