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THERE will be no Loddon Valley Football-Netball League season this year if crowds aren't allowed at games.
Like all leagues, the Loddon Valley is in limbo with there, firstly, no definitive start dates on when - or if - a season will go ahead this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And secondly, if a season is given the green light at some stage by government and health authorities, will crowds be allowed at games due to mass gathering restrictions?
But if crowds aren't permitted to attend chairman Simon Tuohey says the Loddon Valley league won't play in 2020.
"It's not just about participation, it's about the community... so no crowd, no season," Tuohey said.
"I've got an 11-year-old daughter who plays under-13 netball, so to have to drop her off and then leave if there's no crowds, we don't want to be doing that.
"We haven't spoken a lot about too many what-ifs; we want to work with facts. We've got things lined up in terms of our draw if we can get a run at it, but until the government can tell us about crowds at games ect, we'll sit back and wait."
It's not just about participation, it's about the community... so no crowd, no season
- LVFNL chairman Simon Tuohey
If the Loddon Valley's 2020 season can get away, Tuohey says it would need to be a minimum of nine home and away rounds (all teams play each other once), with a preference to retaining a traditional top-five, four-week finals series, while there would be no extending beyond September.
"We've agreed we've got to at least play each once, we have to finish by the end of September and if there's no crowds there's no season," Tuohey said.
"The majority of our clubs don't want to go beyond September and into October given our farming base and that's when we start getting into hay season."
For a nine round home and away season, plus four weeks of finals, to be completed before the start of October, the Loddon Valley would need a July 4 start date.
As it stands, competitions are on hold until at least May 31 due to the pandemic and all training remains banned since March 17.
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