Second country football league calls off the season
A country football and netball league has scrapped its 2020 season, with the six-club north-west competition becoming the second in the state to pull the pin after a club president declared “there were too many things against us”.
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A second Victorian country football and netball league has scrapped its season.
The Millewa league in the state’s north-west last night decided to cancel 2020 over the coronavirus epidemic.
The league has six clubs, and Bambill president Graham Robertson said playing this year and putting a team at risk of “falling over’’ would have threatened the existence of the competition.
He said the clubs believed it was better to call the season off and plan for next year.
“We had a meeting of the presidents last night and it was a unanimous decision to pull the pin,’’ Robertson said.
“We had a look at the restrictions that have been put in place – how many players you can have on the oval at one time, not being able to go into the rooms and use the facilities, not being able to get a rub-down or get taped in the training room, a lot of the pressure on the committee to have a COVID officer sign everyone in, can’t open the bar or have Wednesday night meals, uncertainty of the crowds – and decided to make the call.
“We just thought there were too many things against us.
“We’re a small league of six clubs and only run seniors and women’s football, and the fear was if we put too much financial pressure on, one club might fold and there wouldn’t be a 2021. Football clubs don’t have assets. When you run out of money you run out of money.’’
Robertson said a lot of people connected to Bambill had businesses that had been affected by the pandemic and they would concentrate on getting them back up and running.
He said it was a difficult decision to cancel the season.
Bambill won both premierships last year “and we were obviously keen to get on with the job, but it was stacked against us’’.
Robertson said the footballers and netballers would have liked to play but understood the pressures on the clubs.
“We’re quite happy that we’ve saved lives and that’s good, but let’s have the rest of the year off and rebuild the community … that’s our attitude,’’ Robertson said.
“It’s only a game at the end of the day. We’re not doing it for a living.’’
Bambill, Cardross, Gol Gol Hawks, Meringur, Nangiloc and District, and Werrimull are affiliated with the Millewa league, which counts the stronger Sunraysia as its neighbouring competition.
The Heathcote District league called off its season last week.
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