READ MORE - How the latest lockdown will affect the BFNL, HDFNL, LVFNL and NCFL seasons moving forward

STILL sitting two games outside the Bendigo Football-Netball League top five, the latest season pause has placed a further cloud over Eaglehawk's finals prospects.

Already needing plenty to go right for them had the season not faced a second lockdown, the possibility that the home and away length could be reduced makes the prospect of the Hawks - who have played in the past three grand finals - fighting their way back into the top five all the more challenging.

There were no BFNL games last weekend and will be none again this weekend due to lockdown five in Victoria, which has been extended until 11.59pm next Tuesday, forcing the board to again look at the implications of lost weekends on its season structure, which has already undergone one overhaul after the previous lockdown that knocked out May 29 and June 5 in an attempt to complete a full 18 home and away rounds plus four weeks of finals.

While some leagues - such as Heathcote District - have struck a line through last weekend and this weekend's rounds and ruled all games draws, the BFNL is yet to lock in how it would proceed with the season fixture and format ahead of a meeting with clubs tonight.

BFNL manager Cameron Tomlins indicated last week the league's preference would be to retain its grand final date of Friday, September 24 - already re-scheduled from September 18 - which now leaves the league without enough time to play a full 18 home and away rounds and four weeks of finals.

For sixth-placed Eaglehawk, which has a 6-5 record, this standstill has implications both on and off the field should the season not pick up from where it left off with what was to have been round 13 last weekend.

On field, barring any major upsets the Hawks - who have only missed the finals twice since 1999 (2002 and 2012) - would have banked eight points given they were scheduled to play the lower-placed Maryborough (last week) and Kyneton (this week), who have only four wins between them.

Off-field, both games were to be at Canterbury Park, meaning they have missed out on the crucial revenue, such as gate takings, bar, canteen and raffle, generated by home matches.

"Unfortunately, with what happened last year (no season played) and the previous lockdown this situation, like in every aspect of life, is something we've got a bit used to and you just slide back into it," Eaglehawk coach Travis Matheson said on Wednesday.

"Looking back on what we learned earlier this year when we had the season stopped for a couple of weeks is a really big emphasis on making sure the boys get enough work in during this time.

"You may think you're doing enough, but when you get back into it as far as training and playing you could be that little bit off it, so there will be a big emphasis on still getting work into the boys.

"But probably the biggest battle for our boys this time is just that uncertainty... if you're sitting up near the top of the ladder then you're obviously in a strong position, but for us, it's a bit of a case of will there be a decision made around the season structure that could count us out for the rest of the year?"

It has been a fine line for the Hawks in finding themselves in their precarious position from instead contending for the double chance.

While they are yet to beat any of the top five teams above them, three of their defeats were near misses - losing to South Bendigo by one point in round two, Gisborne by four points in round six and Sandhurst by nine points in round seven without their contingent of key Melbourne players.

"We were already kicking ourselves after those close losses, even if the season had panned out as normal," Matheson said.

"I suppose with what's happened now you look back on those games and kick yourself a bit more."

Had the BFNL been in a position to resume this weekend Matheson expects the Hawks would have had a close to full list to pick from.

Although, they would have been without premiership defender Brenton Conforti, who having been restricted to just five games this year due to a recurring hamstring problem has now been struck down with a knee concern.

"He had an arthroscope on it about 12 months ago and I think this is similar. I don't know if we'll get him back this year... I'd like to think we would, but given there's not too many weeks left I'd say it's probably unlikely," Matheson said.

Meanwhile, Matheson is hopeful that the Hawks will have superstar midfielder Brodie Filo, who has played just three games so far, available for however many remaining games his side has.

But with 2015 Michelsen medallist and one of the league's X-factors Filo living in Darwin, his availability will be determined by border restrictions.

"When he signed on again with us he was living down here, and even when he re-located back up to Darwin and arranged to fly down, we didn't think a lot about there being weeks where we wouldn't be able to get him down here because of COVID," Matheson said.

"It has been really hard with us going into lockdown earlier in the season and then Darwin went into one, so that has obviously made it really hard for us to get Brodie in consistently."

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