Preston Football Club votes to liquidate after 143 years

Members of the Preston Football Club have voted unanimously to place the 143-year-old Victorian football institution into voluntary liquidation, setting in motion the deregistration of one of the VFA and VFL’s longest-standing clubs.

The decision, which took effect on 15 December, followed what club officials described as a deep and prolonged financial crisis, alongside deteriorating governance and internal relationships over recent seasons. Kane Sheppard of BDO was appointed liquidator.

Preston’s board told members that the club had accumulated unpaid liabilities to players, coaches and a range of external creditors, including the Australian Taxation Office, apparel suppliers, utilities, medical providers and security contractors. While the precise quantum of the debts has not been publicly disclosed, the club acknowledged that arrears had been building since at least 2022 and had become unsustainable by the end of the 2025 season.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the club cited concerns raised by members about the appropriation of revenue between 2021 and mid-2025, as well as a breakdown in trust between players, coaching staff and the former board during 2024 and early 2025. Club officials described the environment as having become increasingly toxic, contributing to instability both on and off the field.

The liquidation follows the decision by the Australian Football League to remove Preston’s Victorian Football League licence after the 2025 season, citing financial and competitive concerns. The club, which most recently competed under the Northern Bullants name, finished last in 2025 with two wins and had recorded only seven victories since the end of the 2021 season.

The club has confirmed that, once the voluntary liquidation process is completed, it will be deregistered.