Gisborne withdraws from the Bendigo Football Netball League season
One of the last local footy leagues holding out, the Bendigo Football Netball League is under pressure after Gisborne announced it would withdraw from the 2020 season.
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Gisborne has thrown a spanner into the Bendigo Football Netball League’s hopes of playing in 2020 after withdrawing for the season.
The Bulldogs announced the decision in an email to members on Tuesday night, declaring the health of players and the wider community was paramount.
As of Tuesday morning, the Bendigo league was one of five community football leagues still preparing for a season to be played.
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The neighbouring Riddell District league pulled up stumps on Tuesday night while the Ballarat league called it quits last week.
Gisborne president John Wood said it was a difficult decision but necessary in the circumstances.
“As we returned to training we were all hopeful that the season would get underway,” the club statement said.
“Unfortunately, the recent spike in COVID-19 cases brings with it significant concerns for our players and their families.
“The expectation that the COVID-19 numbers will continue to increase in the short term led the committee to make this difficult decision.
“Our concerns for the health, safety and well-being of our players, their families and the broader community was the key driver in the decision.
“We are also mindful of our moral obligation to prevent the spread of the virus into regional and rural Victoria.”
Gisborne had returned to training in line with AFL Victoria’s return-to-training protocols last month.
The club had been looking to improve on last season’s third-placed finish under new coach Rob Waters.
Leyton Chisholm (Kyneton), Jake O’Brien (Castlemaine) and Lachlan Crosbie (QAFL) had arrived in the pre-season.
When he took the job last year, Waters was excited by the club’s potential.
“It’s a great list, all local blokes, which is great for the community,” he said.
“A kick from the grand final, which was unlucky, so our expectations are to qualify for finals, but there’s a lot of work to do before the even the first game.”