A meeting of league presidents was held on Monday evening to decide a way forward.
“There was still no clarity as to whether the 2021 season would go ahead,” Yarrawonga Football Netball Club President Ross Mulquiney said.
“Whilst the league wants to run a finals series, it will only run a four-week final five series. It is understood the possibility of conducting a two-week final four has not been considered a suitable way forward by the board. This is despite the fact only the month of April in season 2021 saw all scheduled matches played.
“The league hopes Bill Tilley, MLA Member for Benambra (Wodonga) can campaign the Victorian Government to lift restrictions this week to allow its finals series to advance.
“Although, it appears that even if the O & M pull a rabbit out of the Victorian Government lockdown hat, it would then need the NSW Government to allow its citizens to cross the border to play and then the Victorian Government to allow NSW players across the border to play.”
Last week league chairman David Sinclair was on Neil Mitchell’s 3AW program putting his best foot forward to promote the league’s efforts to restart in light of the largely zero-covid status of the border region.
With businesses closed all over the region and the widespread pain of lockdown present, a number of the clubs within the league expressed concern as to whether the competition should in fact reform for finals.
“This is only further exasperated by non-border bubble residents being unlikely to be allowed to play as such a ruling would ravage at least three of the final football teams in Myrtleford, Wangaratta and Wangaratta Rovers, and also prevent reigning premier in the netball Wangaratta from having access to their gun shooter Amanda Umanski,” Mr Mulquiney said.
“Undoubtedly even if the final series goes ahead it will be surely marked with a bold Asterix!”
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