Sorrento president urges league officials to scrap 2020 MPNFL season
Heavyweight solicitor Bernie ‘’The Attorney’’ Balmer has strong views on what should happen with local football this season, saying it’s time for crunch decisions to be made.
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Put a line through the season and start planning for 2021.
That’s the opinion of Sorrento president and leading Melbourne lawyer Bernie ‘’The Attorney’’ Balmer, who says MPNFL clubs would “haemorrhage’’ financially if football came back.
“They just should snatch the year,’’ Balmer said.
“You know, clubs are going to go to the wall if we do have to play and we’ve got to pay AFL service fees...pay umpires, pay players without gates, without lunches, without kiosks, without bar — no cash flow — it’s going to place an enormous strain on a lot of teams.
“Maybe draw a line through the year and start again.’’
MPNFL club presidents voiced their concerns about paying the bills if a shortened season went ahead during a 90-minute Zoom meeting with the AFL South East on Wednesday night.
Balmer hoped common sense would prevail.
“Firstly, it’s a tragedy, we want all our kids on the park, training,’’ Balmer said.
“But secondly, we can’t control what’s happening.
“This is a worldwide thing. We’ve got to have common sense about it and be practical about it, think about the health, safety and welfare of all of our participants being crowds, players, umpires etc.’’
Balmer said he was like everyone — he’s missing footy…standing in the outer “with a hamburger and a frothy’’ watching his Sharks.
“I suppose the one positive you can take out of it — we haven’t lost,’’ he joked.
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