NFL boss discusses plans for promotion, relegation and fixturing in nine-game season
Northern Football League boss Peter McDougall discusses how a COVID-19 shortened nine-game season will be fixtured and why promotion and relegation is still on the table in 2020.
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Promotion and relegation is set to remain if the Northern Football League season is given the green light.
NFL boss Peter McDougall said if a “balanced” season and finals were completed, the normal divisional movement would go ahead.
A nine-round home-and-away campaign and four-week finals series is expected to be ticked off if a local footy season begins.
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Cricket Victoria agreement to push back the start of the suburban cricket season is a big step towards a season starting on July 25 or August 1 and finishing in October.
McDougall said consideration would then need to be given to which clubs were awarded five home games.
The NFL chief executive said some clubs would be against relegation in a shortened season but asking players to take the field without the incentive of premierships and promotion would be unfair.
“If it’s a balanced season where everybody plays each other once and you have an incentive at the end of the season, then promotion and relegation would still be alive,” McDougall said.
“Clubs are working hard to go up a division and as we know it’s difficult to win a competition. If you talk to clubs in second and third division that have been in the mix, I think they would be very keen to be able to go up if they were successful.
“No doubt the clubs that are in the mix to go down wouldn’t want to go down, so it’s a bit of a catch-22.
“I think from a players’ point of view, if you’re to put the effort into playing in a modified season, you need the incentive of success rather than play for a year with no reward.”
Fixturing the 2020 season looms as possibly the league’s biggest issue with a nine-game season raising integrity issues.
Some clubs will play five home games while others will only be given four.
If crowds are allowed to attend games this season the issue would also have financial ramifications for clubs.
McDougall suggested allowances would be made for clubs with financial issues or considered relegation risks.
“Realistically, nine games means not everyone is going to have five home games. It’s just not mathematically possible,” he said.
“We’ve got a handle on how clubs are travelling, vulnerable clubs, and we’d look at making sure clubs at most risk get five home games.
“That might be subjective to other clubs but that’s the world we live in.
“Rightly or wrongly, we’d probably look after those that need more help than others.”
A decision on clubs returning to sanctioned training is expected next week following the Victorian government’s next round of restriction easing.