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AFL Central Victoria will wait until next week's eagerly-anticipated community football 2020 pathway announcements before locking in salary cap figures for this year.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic that has delayed all community football-netball competitions this year, the AFL last month recommended two stages of salary cup reductions, with the measures aiming to "help ensure the survival and ongoing sustainability of community football clubs in 2020 and beyond."
The AFL's two stage recommendations are:
Stage one: a 50% reduction on current salary caps for the 2020 season;
Stage two: a further pro rata reduction based on the number of matches re-fixtured.
For example, if a league's salary cap was $100,000 it would initially be cut to $50,000 as per stage one.
And then if only half-a-season was to be played, that $50,000 figure would again be cut in half to $25,000 as a pro rata reduction.
AFLCV regional manager Carol Cathcart says the salary cap figures for the Bendigo, Heathcote District, Loddon Valley and North Central leagues will among the discussions at a commission meeting next week.
"The commission is meeting on May 11 and it will be a topic for that meeting," Cathcart said.
"At the moment everything is still a what if for us... we still don't know whether we're going to be playing, whether we can have crowds and if we can't have crowds what impact that will have."
At the moment everything is still a what if for us... we still don't know whether we're going to be playing, whether we can have crowds and if we can't have crowds what impact that will have
- Carol Cathcart - AFLCV regional manager
The Heathcote District league has already stated it supports the two stages of AFL salary cap recommendations for 2020.
The HDFNL's original salary cap figure for this year was set at $130,000, the same as North Central, while Bendigo was at $150,000 and Loddon Valley $120,000.
With football-netball clubs and leagues having been in limbo since March 17 when seasons were put on hold until at least May 31, a clearer picture on the 2020 season is finally expected to emerge at community level next week.
"In the week beginning May 11, there will be an announcement from the elite game (AFL) with a proposed date for a resumption of training and return to play. An update around timings for a resumption of activity at community level will be provided once the roadmap for the elite competition has been announced," AFL Victoria community football development manager Stephen O'Donohue wrote in an open letter to clubs and leagues.
"We continue to focus on being aligned with the advice of the Government and the relevant medical authorities and are ensuring everything we do protects the health and safety of our participants and wider community.
"We thank you for your patience and ongoing collaboration as the planning continues to evolve, and we look forward to being able to provide a more robust update to you following the planned elite game announcement in the second week of May."
All club activities and training remains suspended, but when it can resume football training will be initially in groups of no more than 10 and non-contact.
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