The Bendigo Football Netball League won't participate in inter-league competition in 2021.
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BFNL manager Cameron Tomlins confirmed the league had been trying to find an inter-league opponent for "some months", but a suitable opponent could not be found leaving the league with no other option but to pull the pin on inter-league action for 2021.
"Prior to the 2020 season being abandoned, and under a new inter-league format (moving away from an AFL Victoria-governed ranking system), the BFNL successfully negotiated with the Ballarat FNL to reignite our Goldfields rivalry with a series of junior and senior football and netball matches scheduled to be played at Mars Stadium early last season,'' the BFNL said in a staement.
"Unfortunately, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, these matches were also unable to proceed.
"For some months now, the BFNL have attempted to find a suitable major league opponent to schedule 2021 football and netball inter-league matches against, provided it could be co-ordinated in a safe and cost-effective manner.
"Unfortunately, the BFNL were unable to source a suitable opponent such as Ballarat, and therefore have made the difficult decision to defer the inter-league program until season 2022.
"Many leagues and clubs are still navigating the financial effects of not competing in 2020, whilst approaching a 2021 season that still poses various challenges and levels of uncertainty.
"The league remains committed to fully supporting affiliated clubs as we eagerly, yet cautiously, return to local competition in season 2021."
With inter-league cancelled for 2021, the weekend of May 22-23 now becomes a general bye for all BFN clubs.
While there'll be no representative football this year, the BFNL confirmed it is committed to enter both 17-and-under and Open netball teams into the annual 2021 Netball Victoria Association Championships tournament, provided the event proceeds as planned.
Tomlins was hopeful inter-league football and netball would return to the BFNL calendar in 2022.
"Whilst inter-league participation has been deferred for season 2021 as we seek stability following abandoned 2020 seasons, and whilst adjusting to a COVID-normal competition, the league have already commenced negotiations with potential 2022 inter-league opponents," he said.
"Inter-league participation is important to the league, and similar to this off-season, we will investigate every opportunity possible to return to representative competition in season 2022."
The BFNL's most recent inter-league campaign was a 99-point thumping of Outer East at the QEO in 2019.
It was a clean sweep for the league, with all football and netball teams winning on home soil.
Read more: BFNL 2021 fixture
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