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THE Bendigo Football-Netball League is keen to provide its clubs with its 2021 player points allocations and salary cap figure "sooner rather than later".
With the BFNL senior season having been called off, clubs have now turned their attention to both shoring up their list and recruiting for next season.
But to be able to do that, they need certainty around how much they will be permitted to spend under the league's salary cap and what their weekly player points allocation will be.
Most clubs when contacted by the Bendigo Advertiser in the wake of last week's BFNL decision to call off the senior season due to the cornonavirus pandemic listed clarity around player points allocations and the salary cap for 2021 as a key priority moving forward.
The BFNL salary cap and player points - which were introduced by AFL Victoria state-wide in 2016 - will be discussed at a league meeting next week.
"We understand that it is important for clubs and we've got a reasonable understanding of club feelings in regards to the salary cap," BFNL manager Cameron Tomlins said on Thursday.
"But we're also quite conscious of what AFL Victoria recommendations are going to be state-wide and what the other leagues in our direct region and neighbouring region are looking to do because that comes into our consideration too when we're talking about salary caps.
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"So we'll work through the salary cap and hope to get some clarity for our clubs sooner rather than later.
"We know our clubs are really keen to start preparing for next year and we understand that."
Earlier this year in the initial stages of the COVID-19 enforced shutdown of community football the AFL indicated the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis was likely to lead to reduced salary caps next year.
"At this stage, due to the anticipated financial impact on community clubs for years to come, we are proposing that there will be a reduction in the APP (Allowable Player Payment) that will be carried through into the 2021 season. This position will be reviewed and confirmed later in 2020 as the impact from COVID-19 becomes apparent," the AFL's Andrew Dillon said in April.
The BFNL's salary cap was set for $150,000 this year and - prior to COVID-19 - was forecast to be trimmed by $5000 to $145,000 next year.
Other salary caps in the AFL Central Victoria region for this year were to be $130,000 for both the Heathcote District and North Central leagues and $120,000 for the Loddon Valley league.
As well as the salary cap and what their player points budget will be for next year, also crucial for clubs and their 2021 recruiting planning will be how will players be valued in terms of deductions and additions given the cancellation of all community senior seasons in Victoria due to COVID-19?
In normal circumstances with a season played a player would receive a one-point deduction to their value for playing a minimum of five senior or reserves games in a year, while players can also have an additional point attached to them, such as playing for three clubs in three years.
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