READ MORE - No rush for decision on 2020 season: BFNL
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THERE will be no Loddon Valley Football-Netball League games for the first time since 1944 after the 2020 season was officially abandoned on Thursday night.
The decision was made following a Zoom meeting of the league board with club presidents and netball operations managers, taking the number of AFL Central Victoria senior leagues that won't be playing this year to three due to the coronavirus impact.
Heathcote District and North Central had already made the decisions to abandon this year.
On the night the AFL season was re-launched at the MCG between Collingwood and Richmond, the LVFNL listed four key reasons for it putting an end to its 2020 season:
* the significant burden placed on volunteers;
* the uncertainty around how to generate revenue;
* no confirmation of key dates as to when full club training can commence, or season may start; and
* lack of information surrounding crowd numbers permitted to venues.
"The decision is made and it's over. It's obviously disappointing because we're there to provide sport, but it's all become in the too-hard basket," league chair Simon Tuohey told the Bendigo Advertiser.
The decision is made and it's over. It's obviously disappointing because we're there to provide sport, but it's all become in the too-hard basket
- Simon Tuohey - LVFNL chair
"As a league we've got to make sure our clubs are sustainable into the future and we've got to look after the health and safety of our communities, so that has all been taken into account."
The only club that voted to delay a final call being made on the season was Maiden Gully YCW.
"Maiden Gully YCW was the only one, but they also understand every other club's opinion and support whatever decision we were to make as a league," Tuohey said.
With the decision now made, the board thanked all clubs for their "time and effort" during the pandemic that first cast doubt on 2020 community seasons being played when training and all club activities were immediately halted on March 17
