Bendigo District Cricket Association president Wayne Walsh is open to the prospect of football using the Queen Elizabeth Oval in October.
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Traditionally, cricket utilises Bendigo's premier sporting oval from October 1 until March 31, with football taking over from April 1 until September 30.
With the coronavirus pandemic forcing the suspension of football until at least May 31, the Bendigo Football Netball League finals series could stretch into October if the season does kick-off at some stage in 2020.
"The whole community is suffering right now, so I think it's important that all sporting bodies work together over the next 12 months or two years to ensure everyone gets up and going,'' Walsh said.
"There has to be give and take from everyone, so cricket would certainly be willing to work with the City of Greater Bendigo and AFL Central Victoria in regards to the QEO.
"There's so many different scenarios in play right now, so we want to keep an open mind.
"There might be a case where cricket gives up the QEO in October, but might be able to get access to the ground for an extra week or two at the other end for our finals.
"We'll be having discussions going forward to see what suits everyone."
At the moment it seems the best case scenario for the BFNL is a nine round season.
If the season was to get underway as late as August 1, nine rounds would be completed on September 26.
Should the BFNL use a top four instead of its traditional top five, a condensed three-week finals series could be played and the BFNL grand final could be scheduled for October 17.
The use of other ovals for football in the region until the end of September would also pose a problem for cricket clubs that share venues with football clubs.
Turf pitches take considerable time to prepare, meaning an October start for cricket unlikely.
"Right now we're not sure when cricket is going to start,'' Walsh said.
"Cricket might not start until November or later, so we'll look at how our season might shape up.
"We might have to make changes to our traditional format.
"The most important thing for everyone is that we get our community sport back up and running when it is safe to do so."
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