League officials ratified Jennings’ appointment at a board meeting yesterday as they eye a breakthrough win against Kyabram and District in May.

Mininera and District returned to the interleague fold last season, losing to Golden Rivers by 33 points at Lake Bolac Recreation Reserve.

But hopes are high of an improved showing with Jennings at the helm again and selectors having heeded the lessons from last season.

“It was a hard one to judge (last year) because Golden Rivers and ourselves hadn’t played interleague for a long time,” Jennings said.

“We were both classed as the bottom two teams in the competition but Golden Rivers were a lot better than that.

“They were a really good, hard-running outfit. We probably need to go in with a few younger players than we did last year.

“Last year the (experienced) guys who put their hands up to play deserved that opportunity. This year we’re definitely going for the in-form younger players.”

Jennings, 44, started his senior career with Ararat and played more than 100 games with the Wimmera league club.

He crossed to Tatyoon as a joint assistant in the early 1990s and later coached Wickliffe-Lake Bolac alongside his brother David.

His MDFL years include more than 250 games and best-and-fairest awards in 1991 (with Tatyoon), 1995 and 1996 (with Wickliffe-Lake Bolac).

A stint with AFL Cairns club Port Douglas also features on his football resume.

“The league has given me a lot of opportunities over my career. I was fortunate enough to win three league best and fairests, played rep footy,” Jennings said.

“The rep footy had died away and I was really keen to get it up and running again (last year).

“When they approached me about coaching, I said ‘sure, I’m more than happy to get it going’.”

Jennings said the interleague campaign enjoyed good support from MDFL players in 2014, something he hoped would continue this season.

He is yet to appoint an assistant coach or selectors but wanted to have a short list of players finalised early in the season. “I want the players to pick their own team. If you have ownership of something you’re doing, you tend to put more time and effort into it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the MDFL will operate under a seven-member board for the first time this season.

Clubs late last year voted to abandon the former delegates system which had governed the competition for years, in favour of a board.

David Watson is the inaugural chairman, with Brendan Kelly the vice-chairman.

Pat Millear, Robert Fraser, Neil Robertson, Anna Watson and David Wade fill out the executive.

Dianne Membery is the new administration secretary, a role she also holds with the Warrnambool and District Football Netball League.

The board will meet monthly and host forums for clubs in March, June and November.

The league has also created a new volunteer of the year award, named in honour of Wickliffe-Lake Bolac stalwart Peter Gorst, who died two years ago.

The 18-round MDFL season starts on April 11. 

There are byes for interleague and the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. 

The grand final is on September 19.