Football and netball clubs across the region will be without Melbourne-based players for at least the start of their respective finals series.
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The extension of Melbourne's lockdown for another two weeks means Melbourne-based players will miss the first two weekends of the LVFNL finals series and the opening weekend of the BFNL and HDFNL finals.
"At this point in time we won't have our metro participants on the weekend of August 28-29,'' BFNL manager Cameron Tomlins said.
"It's something we'll keep monitoring because things seem to change on an hour by hour basis these days."
Of the six football clubs that will participate in the BFNL finals series, Gisborne is hardest hit by the absence of Melbourne-based players.
Eaglehawk and South Bendigo also lose some of their top-end talent, while the restriction has little impact on Sandhurst and Golden Square.
While top-of-the-table Strathfieldsaye has a handful of metropolitan-based players, the Storm clearly have the best depth in the competition.
"I feel for every club in all the leagues,'' Eaglehawk coach Travis Matheson said.
"It's not something we can control, so you've just got to get on with it and focus on what you can control."
Gisborne coach Rob Waters said the Bulldogs were not shocked by the extended lockdown.
Read more: Catch up on the weekend's footy news
"It's not ideal, but you have to move on and do the best you can,'' Waters said.
"It's going to test the depth of our whole club from the seniors through to under-18s.
"Our focus is playing a quality side in Sandhurst this weekend and then we'll worry about the finals after that."
The revamped BFNL three-week finals series is scheduled to start on August 28-29.
The structure of the BFNL's top six system for the finals series is expected to be announced in the next 48 hours.
A system where all six clubs play on the first weekend of the finals is thought to be favoured by the league.
"We're working through some final details before we can release our recommendation,'' Tomlins said.
"We're working to have it finalised by Wednesday. I understand everyone wants to know how the finals will work and we want to get it out to everyone as quickly as we can as well."
The LVFNL finals series starts this weekend with the qualifying finals at Serpentine on Saturday and the elimination finals at Marong on Sunday.
The HDFNL has one more home and away round to be played before it's finals series begins.
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