THIS year it's COVID-19 that has prevented the Bendigo Football-Netball League from playing what would have been its first and second semi finals this weekend.
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On the corresponding weekend 10 years ago, it was the weather.
Yes, this weekend marks 10 years since the BFNL made the big call to call off its two semi finals due to inclement weather.
So, what happened a decade ago for the BFNL to pull the pin on its semi final weekend of September 4-5?
The decision was made following a BFNL board meeting at 9.30am on the Saturday after a deluge of 50.6mm of rain had fallen in Bendigo overnight.
The downpour of rain had already left the QEO a boggy mess with a heavy coverage of surface water on it and with further thunderstorms predicted for Bendigo on the Saturday, the board was forced to confront the postponement prospect.
Not since the 1962 second semi final between Rochester and Kyneton had a Bendigo league final been postponed.
The QEO was scheduled to host the second semi final between Golden Square and Eaglehawk on the Saturday night and the first semi final between South Bendigo and Maryborough on the Sunday.
But in the best interests of the QEO surface, player safety and spectator comfort, the board made the decision to postpone the semis.
"We know there's some inconvenience and our preference would have been to play without any shadow of a doubt," BFNL chief executive officer Steven Oliver said on the Sunday.
"I went for a drive on Saturday afternoon and certainly saw some of the carnage around the region in regards to the rain, so we're very comfortable with the decision we've made."
All four senior coaches seemed to take the decision in their stride, telling the Bendigo Advertiser:
Shane Fisher (Maryborough) - "I think the league made a good decision when you think about the conditions, which were terrible, so we've got another week to get things right on the track."
Rick Coburn (South Bendigo) - "The powers that be made a decision based on a whole lot of factors, so you've just got to go with it."
Derrick Filo (Eaglehawk) - "Common sense prevailed in the end, and from what I saw of the QEO last week there's no doubt it wouldn't have handled six games."
Nick Carter (Golden Square) - "It was a shock decision because football games don't get cancelled too often. But we've just got to roll with it and at the end of the day, it gives us another week to get ready for the second semi final."
Also a factor in the BFNL's decision to postpone was the travel implications for Maryborough caused by the wild weather.
The Magpies had both their seniors and reserves teams playing that weekend.
"Maryborough had some concerns with physically getting here as there are some roads cut off out that way," Oliver said.
With the games postponed, the BFNL re-scheduled the Golden Square-Eaglehawk second semi final for the QEO the following Saturday night - the Bulldogs won by 44 points.
And the South Bendigo-Maryborough first semi final was shifted the following Sunday to Golden Square's Wade Street - the Bloods won by 71 points.
The week two postponement had the flow-on effect of also pushing the grand final back a week.
Originally set for Saturday, September 18, the new date for the BFNL flag battle became Sunday, September 26 - the day after what would become the drawn AFL grand final between St Kilda and Collingwood.
Unfortunately for fans at the QEO on that Sunday, the BFNL grand final wasn't as thrilling as the drama that had unfolded at the MCG the previous day - Golden Square comfortably beat South Bendigo by 37 points.
The BFNL wasn't the only league to call off its finals that September weekend a decade ago. So too did the Maryborough-Castlemaine District league.
The MCDFNL's semi finals on the Sunday were scheduled to be played at Avoca's Public Park.
But rather than a football ground, Public Park instead resembled a lake on the Saturday after having 80 mm of rain dumped on it.
The Bendigo Junior Football League's preliminary finals were also abandoned that weekend.
However, the Heathcote District league grand final proceeded at Colbinabbin, with the undefeated Heathcote taking on Lockington-Bamawm United in horrendous conditions.
Colbinabbin's M.J. Morgan ended up a muddy mess and the poor weather significantly affected the crowd, with the $16,000 gate almost half of the previous year's $30,000.
The Saints capped their season of perfection with a 8.8 (56) to 5.9 (39) win having earlier trailed the Cats by 27 points at quarter-time.
"Such were the conditions the game resembled rugby at times with the constant stoppages," the match report in the Advertiser reads.
"By the end of the match, which lasted 118 minutes, there had been 107 ball-ups or boundary throw-ins, although, only 69 of those stoppages had a clear take away by either team.
"The ugly conditions didn't allow it to be a game of skill or finesse, rather, it was simply a case of players from both teams trying to kick the ball as far as they could and hope it found a team-mate.
"It wasn't pretty, but it was enthralling."
The strong wind and persistent rain also made it tough going on the netball court where White Hills proved far too strong for Colbinabbin, winning 48-28 in the A Grade clash.
Conditions weren't much better at Inglewood for the Loddon Valley league preliminary final.
In what was a slogfest with just 11 goals kicked for the match, after scores had been locked together 37 apiece at the final siren extra time was needed for Calivil United to beat Pyramid Hill 7.7 (49) to 4.17 (41).
The grueling conditions took a taxing toll on the Demons, who had little left in the tank the following week and copped a 115-point hiding off Bridgewater in the grand final.
TOP 50 MOST DOMINANT PREMIERSHIP SEASONS SINCE 1950 - THE LIST SO FAR
No.5 - Calivil United 2004
No. 6 - Strathfieldsaye 2015
No. 7 - Heathcote 2010
No. 8 - South Bendigo 1993
No. 10 & 9 - Golden Square 2010; Strathfieldsaye 2019
No. 12 & 11 - Castlemaine 2000; Strathfieldsaye 2014
No. 14 & 13 - Leitchville-Gunbower 2017; South Bendigo 1991
No. 16 & 15 - Colbinabbin 1999; Mount Pleasant 1995
No. 18 & 17 - YCW 1997; Bridgewater 2015
No. 20 & 19 - Mount Pleasant 1997; Mount Pleasant 1993
No. 22 & 21 - Bridgewater 2010; Bridgewater 2011
No. 24 & 23 - LBU 2011; Colbinabbin 1998
No. 26 & 25 - Gisborne 2003; LBU 2013
No. 28 & 27 - Gisborne 2002; Colbinabbin 1991
No. 30 & 29 - Maryborough 1998; Gisborne 2005
No. 32 & 31 - South Bendigo 1994; Golden Square 2009
No. 34 & 33 - Castlemaine 1992; South Bendigo 1990
No. 36 & 35 - Mitiamo 1999; Sandhurst 2016
No. 38 & 37 - North Bendigo 2019; Leitchville-Gunbower 2018
No. 40 & 39 - Bridgewater 1991; Calivil United 2017
No. 42 & 41 - Heathcote 1992, Sandhurst 2004
No. 44 & 43 - Eaglehawk 2008, Elmore 2007
No. 46 & 45 - Mount Pleasant 1990, Newbridge 2018
No. 48 & 47 - Gisborne 2006, Calivil United 1990
No. 50 & 49 - Calivil United 2003, Eaglehawk 2018
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