Most of the Upper Murray clubs elected on Monday night to reject joining the Tallangatta and District Football League as a merged entity, although Federal presented a motion to make the move.

Bullioh had previously applied to transfer to the TDFL 12 months ago, but has now officially committed to the Upper Murray Football Netball League, which will return next year after COVID-19 forced its cancellation this season.

"Yes, we'll be with the Upper Murray in the coming years," Dean said.

"It was probably too short a time for the one Upper Murray club to go into the Tallangatta league, it needed more planning, but it was a good exercise.

"I've been speaking to a few of the people from other clubs and they need it (the UMFNL), they want it.

"Everyone's missed it, a lot of the old-timers and even the kids, I suppose everyone in between, everyone in these communities needs a meeting point and it's a great day win, lose or draw, the community gets together and people stop work."

Dean, who is a two-time Carlton premiership player (1987, 1995), admits it would have taken enormous personnel to make the move to the higher standard TDFL.

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"It would take a hell of a lot of volunteers and we would have had to reassess, like all clubs, the volunteer base."

Bullioh is the reigning premiers.