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WYCHEPROOF-Narraport is committed to being a part of the North Central league again next season.
Prior to the final decision being made on June 4 that the North Central league season would be cancelled, the continued uncertainty around the 2020 competition had already led to the Demons abandoning this year.
"We had a new coach this year in Mick Delaney and he and Rory White had done a really good job with recruiting and it was looking exciting," Demons president Mark McLennan said on Saturday.
"But when the virus hit quite early on we had decided we weren't going to play, regardless of what North Central chose to do.
"We've stated though that we'll be continuing and looking forward to next season... our intention is very much to go ahead in 2021."
The Demons have made no secret of their interest in a merger with another club given their lack of junior players - this would have been their sixth season without an under-16.5 side.
Just under a year ago the Demons voted on a merger proposal with Golden Rivers league club Nullawil that wasn't passed.
McLennan says the Demons will continue to look at options in the future.
"I think the virus has given us the time to explore some options with the club and certainly amalgamation somewhere down the track is still on the table," McLennan said.
I think the virus has given us the time to explore some options with the club and certainly amalgamation somewhere down the track is still on the table
- Mark McLennan - Wycheproof-Narraport coach
"Whether or not the virus brings that forward or further into the distance, it's hard to know at this stage.
"The longer we can keep going as our own entity the better, which we'll be trying to do, but we've put it out that we're very interested in any club that may be interested in an amalgamation."
McLennan, who has been part of the Wycheproof-Narraport committee for 30 years, said the Demons had weighed up the pros and cons of playing in 2020 should a season get started before making the decision last month that they would not be participating.
"We looked at how football-ready the players would be and what would that mean for injuries, the protocols that were in place were quite full-on to run a game, no crowds and therefore no income from bars and canteens, so all those sort of things came into it for us," McLennan said.
"The work that goes into running clubs is already full-on as is without adding in all the extra protocols."
With some extra time up their sleeve this year given there will be no games, the Demons may look to pursue incorporating their football, netball and hockey entities under the one club banner.
Meanwhile, after winning back-to-back senior premierships in 2017 and 2018, the Demons endured significant player turnover and last year slid down the ladder, winning just two games.
However, under new coach Mick Delaney the Demons had looked set to be one of this season's big improvers given their strong recruiting, which included former Essendon player Aaron Henneman.
Boe Bish and key defender Trevor Rumbold, both multiple premiership players with the Demons, were also among the inclusions, as was Lachlan Longmire, the nephew of Sydney Swans' premiership coach John Longmire.
The Demons being boosted by an influx of recruits comes on the back of being the club that has averaged the least amount of player points across the AFLCV region with just 26.0 over the four years, with their 2017 and 2018 flags coached by Julian Bull primarily made up of locally-grown one-point players.
The Demons were formed in 1964 following a merger of Wycheproof and Narraport.
The Demons have won 19 senior premierships since the merger - 1964, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2010, 2017 and 2018.
HOW ARE THE NORTH CENTRAL TEAMS FARING IN THE ADDY ISO-SEASON:
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