""We welcome the decision of the BFL and its clubs and I'm sure the wider community of Bendigo is of the same opinion,"" Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson said. ""This alignment will be of great benefit to both the general community and local football. I want to take this opportunity to re-emphasise that this alignment is not something Essendon Football Club entered into lightly. It is something we are totally committed to making work for all parties involved.""
""While it has taken some time to reach this stage, we always fully appreciated there would be some sensitivities in reaching such an agreement. The time taken and the process may have frustrated some but it was always the intention of Essendon Football Club to gain the support of all football stakeholders in Bendigo.
""Perhaps in our initial discussions we didn't spell out our intentions clearly enough to the BFL. But in some ways the fact that it has taken some time to reach this stage could turn out to be a bonus - all elements of the local football community have had time to thoroughly digest and debate the issues. All parties now enter into this venture with a far clearer picture of what it is we are taking on.""
""Essendon Football Club, the Bendigo Diggers and the BFL will now sit down and format an implementation plan for the alignment. This is an exciting time for the Essendon Football Club and for the community of Bendigo.""
