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TEN teams from the cancelled Loddon Valley and Heathcote District leagues will join together for an under-18 competition this season.
AFL Central Victoria has added an under-18 age-group to the Bendigo Junior Football League to provide an opportunity for teams from the HDFNL and LVFNL to play 10 games.
Of the 18 clubs across the two leagues, which have both been cancelled due to the impact of the coronavirus, 10 have taken up the opportunity to enter teams - Marong, Maiden Gully YCW, Newbridge and Calivil United from Loddon Valley and Elmore, Mount Pleasant, North Bendigo, reigning premier White Hills, Huntly and Leitchville-Gunbower from Heathcote District.
The competition will start on July 18 and will run for 10-consecutive weeks.
All teams will play each other once over nine home and away rounds, with the 10th week's matches on September 19 to be decided by ladder positions - 1 v 2, 3 v 4, 5 v 6, 7 v 8 and 9 v 10.
Matches will be played under the AFL Victoria Protocols.
"Ten teams is a really good number to be able to run this type of a season over 10 weeks, so we're looking forward to putting it on," AFLCV junior operations manager Nathan Williams said on Thursday.
"The season will be run in line with the AFL Victoria Protocols which are essentially designed around players turning up ready to play, playing, and then leaving and government restrictions that have been set out."
The season will be run in line with the AFL Victoria Protocols which are essentially designed around players turning up ready to play, playing, and then leaving and government restrictions that have been set out
- Nathan Williams
As far as crowds are concerned, the AFL Victoria Protocols state: "only spectators necessary to support participation, such as coach, medical staff, parent of a junior participant should attend training and competitions."
Spectators should be in groups of no more than 10, while no spectators will be permitted on grounds during breaks or after matches.
AFLCV is still finalising its fixture for the under-18 competition.
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