Ballarat Football League season in doubt after club withdraws for 2020
A huge cloud hangs over the Ballarat Football League season after one of its top clubs independently pulled the pin on its season ahead of the league’s expected announcement this week.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Ballarat Football League will be at least one club short if it goes ahead in 2020.
Darley Football Club pulled the pin on its season on Wednesday, choosing to instead reset for 2021.
The BFL is set to make a final decision on its season on Friday.
WAIT: EDFL BOSS DECLARES IT’S NOT OVER YET
LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL FOOTY NEWS HERE
DECISION: WHERE EVERY LEAGUE SITS ON 2020
In a club statement, the Devils said the health and safety and financial risks were too great.
“After discussions with the executive committee and the Darley senior coaching and (operational) staff, we have made the hard decision as a senior club to abandon a 2020 season and put our focus on 2021,” the club wrote on its Facebook page.
“The Darley FNC will put the health of players, coaching staff, supporters, volunteers, trainers and all of their families as our number one priority during this pandemic.
“The repercussions a positive result or a spread could have on our Darley family, and then the impact this can then have on our local businesses and broader community, that our players are apart of is paramount to our decision.
“I think you all know how much we love our footy and netty, so it does sadden us that 2020 has gone from bad to worse.
“It has been a tough year, but let’s concentrate on making our club stronger and keener to give it a real crack in 2021.”
Darley has been a perennial finals contender with the Bacchus Marsh-based club finishing fourth last season.
The club’s decision puts the BFL season at extreme risk of being cancelled.
Almost every league that has had a club withdraw independently has ultimately followed suit.
League chairman Adrian Bettio said in May if one club abandoned the season the league would have no option.
“Through discussions that we’ve had we’ve made it quite clear to all club presidents that the situation is that it’s all clubs in or all clubs out,” Bettio told the Ballarat Courier.
“All clubs have to opt in otherwise it’s off. It’s that simple.”
The Ballarat Football League is an 11-team competition.