Northern Raiders set to be elevated to division one in WDCA

Association chairperson Gordon McLeod said the match committee had recommended the team's bid to enter division one be accepted at a meeting last week.

He said it would be formally voted on at the June board meeting.

"The match committee looked at their performance over the last two years and recommended they move up into the top division.

"The recommendation was accepted by all the presidents who were at the meeting."

McLeod said a requirement for the club to enter division one was to have a turf wicket.

The Rodger Henderson Oval-based club has spent more than $100,000 of erecting a turf pitch at the club's home base.

"They will have a turf wicket by the start of the season - it's looking really good," McLeod said.

Raiders captain Joe McKinnon said the club was elated.

"We're obviously stoked," he said.

"If we sat back in division two it could put a big halt on what we are trying to achieve."

McKinnon said the club didn't want to lose momentum after securing two straight premierships.

"We think it's probably the right thing (to move up)," McKinnon said.

"We're very grateful the league is giving us the opportunity."

McKinnon said the club was in a strong position.

"Obviously we're trying to get some more players on the field for the division one team, but we have a lot of supporters," he said.

McKinnon said the club was serious about being a serious contender in division one.

"We know there's a lot of work to be done but it's a step in the right direction," he said.

"We don't want to go in there and just make up the numbers. They've guaranteed us a couple of years and we want to show them that we are capable of playing in division one.

"In the long-term we hope we can make some finals and hopefully in the next five years we can win one."

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