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THE Bendigo District Cricket Association board will look at ways of easing the financial burden on clubs that may suffer a sponsorship impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The BDCA last week held a Zoom meeting with its presidents where the range of topics included how clubs expect to be affected financially given the impact of the pandemic on businesses that have been forced to shutdown and the subsequent flow-on effect to sponsorship of sporting clubs.
"The biggest impact for our clubs at the moment is the financial state of the economy in terms of their members and sponsors," BDCA secretary Travis Harling said.
"Some of our presidents spoke about recognising that some of their partners are hurting through this period, but they have taken it upon themselves to make sure when they reopen they will support them as much as they can to help them get going again.
"Some of the clubs certainly acknowledge that they may have reduced support (from sponsors) over the next 12 months.
"The BDCA has been talking about ways in which we can look to help the clubs and we have some ideas in terms of some things we may be able to offer for the coming season.
The BDCA has been talking about ways in which we can look to help the clubs and we have some ideas in terms of some things we may be able to offer for the coming season
- Travis Harling - BDCA secretary
"It's options like reducing affiliation fees... there's fees that we pay that are built into club affiliation fees and maybe we'll be in a position to assist the clubs in regards to that for the coming season."
The BDCA has three contingency fixture options already in place for its 2020-21 season (starting first weekend of October as usual, October 31 or November 14) based on the resumption of sport from the coronavirus pandemic and if some shared grounds, such as the QEO, were still being used for football-netball leagues beyond September.
If a delayed and shortened Bendigo Football-Netball League season is to get a start in 2020, the league has canvassed with its clubs the prospect of playing into October, which would mean encroaching into the traditional cricket season.
"We've had a couple of phone hook-ups with the BFNL and we both agree that we'd like to go the council with both parties on the same page and having sorted it out (using the QEO for BFNL finals beyond September) rather than needing to use the council as a mediator," Harling said.
2019-20 SEASON BDCA-EVCA CLUB REVIEW SERIES:
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