AFL Victoria asks cricket for football season to run through to October 24-25
In a bid to resurrect Melbourne’s widespread grassroots footy competitions, AFL Victoria has put a crucial appeal to Cricket Victoria, with the pandemic creating “possibly the greatest challenge each of our sports have ever faced’’.
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AFL Victoria wants to make October finals time for local football.
The state football authority has asked Cricket Victoria for permission to play through until the weekend of October 24-25.
That would allow for a football season of at least three months and reduce the 2020-21 cricket season to between four-and-a-half and five months.
The request is dependent on medical and government advice about the resumption of community sport.
AFL Victoria has told CV that if it agrees to a change to the division of the seasons, finals will be played in October and grounds will gradually become available for cricket from the end of September rather than August.
“Local football leagues are encouraged to work closely with local cricket associations as early as possible to identify grounds to be utilised during October to ensure preparations on other grounds — particularly for turf wickets — can occur as early as possible,’’ AFL Victoria said in a submission to the cricket body.
About 90 per cent of ovals used for football are also used for cricket.
If local football doesn’t go ahead, October will remain the start of the cricket season, should it be safe to play by then.
Football officials expect to know in the next few weeks if the season will start or be scrapped.
AFL Victoria stressed there was no chance of football creeping into the cricket season in the future.
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It said the proposal for this year was to deal with “the unprecedented circumstances that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on community football’’.
“This is a one-off season modification for 2020 and there is no intent for football to push into October in future years. After 2020, we revert to the original agreement arrangements (football running from April 1 to September 20 and cricket from October 1 to March 31).’’
But it said it was prepared to work with Cricket Victoria to return the favour and give cricket more playing time in April, 2021.
CV is formulating a response to the approach, asking Premier clubs and its affiliates for feedback.
As it does, veteran cricket administrator Craig Ortland is going into bat for football.
Ortland, the president of Sub-District club Noble Park for 23 years, said he had no problem with football cutting into the cricket season.
He said the sports had to work together for the sake of players, clubs and competitions.
“If they want to get football started, cricket has got to be receptive to letting them go a bit longer,’’ Ortland said.
“If that means they go through until the end of October, I personally have no issue with it.
“At the end of the day we’re all there for sport. In hard times we’ve got to do the right thing and look after each other.’’
AFL Victoria said the impact of the pandemic presented football and cricket with “possibly the greatest challenge each of our sports have ever faced’’.
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