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READ MORE - No rush for decision on 2020 season: BFNL
THEN there was one.
Of the four senior football-netball competitions in the AFL Central Victoria region, the Bendigo league is the last left standing still with some hope of playing in 2020.
On Thursday night the Loddon Valley league joined Heathcote District and North Central as AFLCV competitions to be called off this year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
There remains a myriad of hurdles for the BFNL to work through with still no clear answers yet to the main issues that led the three cancelled leagues to their decisions, in which there is a common theme based around:
* still no clarity around when full scale training can commence (it's currently still non-contact in groups of 20);
* will crowds be permitted at games and if so, how many and by when;
* the financial hardship on clubs if there's no match-day revenue;
* the extra burden on volunteers to ensure the strict COVID-19 health and safety protocols are met; and
* most importantly, the health and safety of the community, as summed up by North Central general manager Lance Standfield last week: "what could happen if the virus got into a community due to the football club".
But if the BFNL can hang in long enough where the easing of government restrictions can allow for a compacted season to go ahead, it could be just the shot in the arm the league needs.
If the BFNL can hang in long enough where the easing of restrictions can allow for a compacted season to go ahead, it could be just the shot in the arm the league needs
The Bendigo league is the AFLCV region's major competition and has a rich history back to 1880, but over the past decade has faced the challenges of largely being dominated by just four clubs, constant blowout results and dwindling crowds, which is a catalyst for an upcoming competition review by the AFLCV commission.
But with all other senior football-netball competitions in the AFLCV region called off, the door could be open to some reinvigorated interest in the BFNL if it can get a season up in front of crowds, which is the essence of community sport.
The BFNL continues to stick to its guns and looks determined to take any final decisions as deep as possible to give its clubs and players every possibility of getting on the football field and netball court this year.
And if it can succeed a major spotlight will be shone on the competition that has been lacking of late.
It's a competitive marketplace in the region for exposure given AFLCV comprises four senior competitions, a women's league and juniors, but if the BFNL season can get off the ground this year it would very much be the epicentre of interest.
Should there be a season played, sure, there would again be one-sided games like any competition, but if the league was to utilise its original 2020 fixture into half-a-season, eight of the nine rounds have at least one game that would whet the appetite of any impartial fan from a cancelled league looking to spend a Saturday afternoon at the footy:
Round 1 - Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst.
Round 2 - Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye.
Round 3 - Golden Square v Eaglehawk.
Round 5 - Golden Square v Sandhurst.
Round 6 - Gisborne v Golden Square; Sandhurst v Eaglehawk.
Round 7 - Eaglehawk v Gisborne; Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye.
Round 8 - Gisborne v Sandhurst.
Round 9 - Eaglehawk v Strathfieldsaye.
Had the season gone ahead as scheduled, Saturday would have signaled the halfway mark and featured the next chapter of the engrossing Strathfieldsaye-Eaglehawk rivalry - the two clubs that have contested the past three senior grand finals.
Missing big days like that further rams home how frustrating this 2020 season without community football-netball is and just how different these Saturdays are given, for so many, local football and netball has long been their weekend ritual.
This region hasn't experienced a year without its local football since 1944 during World War 2.
With the BFNL door still ajar for a potential season, presumably there's players in leagues that have already pulled the pin who are desperate for a kick that will be keeping a close eye on what decisions are made.
The clearance window remains open until June 30 and even if it's to just come in and have a run around in the reserves, BFNL clubs could potentially benefit from some additional numbers to assist their playing stocks.
AFLCV commission chairman Nicholas Rolfe has said there's no right or wrong approach to leagues making their decision whether to call off their 2020 season or continue to persist and offer their clubs and players a glimmer of hope.
This week though the domino effect has well and truly started to be seen across the state, with a host of leagues, including Geelong, Geelong District, Bellarine, Colac District, Hampden, Golden Rivers and Central Murray all having made the tough call to put a line through 2020, while the Goulburn Valley league - which has Rochester and Echuca just up the road from Bendigo - has come out and set an aspirational start date of July 18.
Still, the BFNL is remaining steadfast that it won't be dictated to by the decisions of what other competitions choose to do as it continues to await the next round of restriction-related announcements on June 22.
"Surrounding leagues are dealing with different clubs and different communities than we are. We have our own set of circumstances. Once we have enough information to make those decisions we'll go through the process and get it done," BFNL manager Cameron Tomlins said this week.
As each week wears on though without the capacity to yet make clear cut decisions, it's going to get harder to get a season in.
With the Cricket Victoria-AFL Victoria agreement allowing local football priority access to grounds up until Sunday, October 18, to get nine home and away rounds and a traditional four week finals series would need a BFNL start date of July 25.
Every week after that would eat into the length of the finals series given the BFNL has stated from the outset a minimum nine round home and away season would be required to give 2020 credibility.
While it's no doubt frustrating for clubs and players with a cloud of uncertainty still around 2020, hopefully, their patience and the persistence of the BFNL will be rewarded with a season that can be conducted safely and financially viably for clubs and provides the community outlet that has always been its cornerstone.
Clearly, the league is still kicking into the breeze and is five goals down, but the final siren hasn't sounded yet.
HOW THE BENDIGO LEAGUE CLUBS ARE FARING IN THE ADDY ISO-SEASON:
Results are derived from 2010-14 match-ups against each other.
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