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WITH their 2020 season having been cancelled, Bendigo Football-Netball League clubs are moving quickly to shift their focus to 2021.
And high on their agenda is having certainty around what the league's salary cap and player points budgets for next year will be.
The BFNL became one of the last Victorian senior football-netball leagues to call off its season on Wednesday night due to the COVID-19 impact.
However, the league has committed to running under-18 football and 17-and-under netball competitions, with a target start date of July 25.
Following Wednesday night's decison that there will be no senior BFNL season for the first time since 1944, a common theme among club presidents when contacted by the Bendigo Advertiser on Thursday was a key piece in now moving forward was the need for clarity on the salary cap and player points for next year.
"Player points and salary cap for next year... that's what we need to know," Strathfieldsaye president Glen Cowling said.
"There's a lot of idle time now, so we'd like to think we'd be able to start spending that time now re-signing our list and if someone goes then we have the opportunity to have a look around to replace him.
"But we need to know what we've got to work with in terms of the salary cap and points."
The BFNL salary cap this year was set at $150,000 and the tiered player points among clubs ranged from 38 to 47 per game.
Back in April the AFL indicated that the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis on community clubs was likely to lead to reduced salary caps next year - a move that would be strongly supported by Golden Square.
"There needs to be a really hard look at the salary cap and a massive reduction from what it is," Golden Square president Brendan Stewart said.
"In light of what has happened and the pressure clubs have been put under, we'd really like to see the salary cap addressed and cut drastically across all leagues."
In light of what has happened and the pressure clubs have been put under, we'd really like to see the salary cap addressed and cut drastically across all leagues
- Brendan Stewart - Golden Square president
The BFNL's initial salary cap forecast for next year before COVID-19 decimated the season was for a $5000 reduction to $145,000.
"Like other clubs we need to know as soon as possible what is happening with the player points allocation and salary cap for next year," South Bendigo president Alan Ellis said.
"This season may be done and dusted from a senior perspective, but it's a never ending cycle and our focus now has to turn to 2021."
There has been reports this week that AFL Victoria is preparing to introduce a standardised salary cap for the next three years in its metropolitan leagues of $100,000 for premier competitions and scaled back through divisions.
"There was a salary cap question in the league survey about where we would like to see it next year and getting some certainty around that is a high priority at the moment," Gisborne president John Wood said.
"We'd love it if AFL Victoria could set the guidelines for everybody so there's an even playing field for all."
Wood said one of the biggest recruiting challenges Gisborne faced was its proximity to the Essendon District league, which only two years ago had a salary cap of $250,000, before being trimmed to $220,000 last year and $200,000 this season.
The BFNL and its clubs will meet again in a fortnight to discuss the 2021 salary cap and player points.
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