Another football league has fallen victim to COVID-19.
Bendigo Football Netball League announced on Wednesday night that it had cancelled the 2020 senior football and netball seasons.
The decision was made in consultation with all BFNL member clubs including Kyneton and Castlemaine. Earlier this week Gisborne announced it would not play a 2020 season due to the pandemic and the fact that a number of its players and officials either lived or worked in the current COVID-19 hotspots.
However, at this stage the league still plans for competitions for under 18 footballers and 17 and under netballers. They are governed by a different state government protocols to senior players.
The BFNL said in its official announcement of the cancellation that as well as community health safety, the continued uncertainty and challenges relating to clubs being able to host and manage crowds for senior competitions also added to its decision. The impact safety requirements would have on the clubs’ volunteers base and financial impact on the league and individual clubs were also taken into consideration.
“The Bendigo FNL has remained steadfast in keeping all options open as long as possible as we continued exploring every opportunity to return to the ovals and courts in 2020, provided we could do so in a safe, achievable and sustainable manner,” league manager Cameron Tomlins said.
Community safety and wellbeing has remained paramount to our decision making process, however together with our clubs, the BFNL have been committed to exhausting every possibility to enable an opportunity to participate and compete in 2020, based on the strong appetite of our clubs and players to do so.
“Levels of COVID-19 impact are being felt differently across each respective club, though most clubs have now experienced a significant and comparable reduction of income already in regular revenue streams such as sponsorship due to the overall effect on local business, and reductions to club membership and minimal regular fundraising and hospitality opportunities” Tomlins said.
