League officials and club presidents met Wednesday night, and it was confirmed at 11am yesterday the season had been cancelled.
MFNL general manager Dale Norman believes it is the only viable decision to ensure long term sustainability of the clubs and the league.
‘‘Given the recent tightening of restrictions by the Victorian Government, the Murray FNL executive and clubs concluded it would be socially irresponsible to continue,’’ Norman said.
‘‘There were several other factors to consider including the ability of clubs to generate revenue, it is difficult to run a season with minimal spectators, and no clear indication of a pathway moving forward.’’
Free said he could see the writing on the wall when the Victorian Government clawed back Coronavirus relaxations on Saturday, in the wake of a surge in community transmission in the state.
‘‘I think the season closure was the inevitable announcement after Victoria fell into a second spike of cases last week,’’ he said.
‘‘However, the club was still deeply saddened by the confirmation of the news.
‘‘When we saw changing attitudes to cross border restrictions we knew the cancellation was coming.
‘‘We’re a cross border league, so we play many of our games in Victoria.’’
The Murray FNL will now focus on the possibility a junior competition for football and netball in the coming months, if restrictions allow and should clubs wish to be involved.
‘‘This will obviously be raised with parents and coaches before the club commits,’’ Free said.
‘‘For now we will re-group, and look towards having a big season in 2021.’’
District leagues like the MFNL, Goulburn Valley League and the Ovens & Murray League have been discussing season options together over several months, as well as with AFL GM regional general manager Jamie Macri.
‘‘Time was against us in the end. To play a compromised competition and with no clear direction for crowds, the only viable decision to ensure the long-term sustainability of the clubs was to cancel the season,’’ Norman said.
‘‘Revenue streams for clubs have been impacted due to the inability to generate sponsorship and membership sales.
‘‘Clubs also expressed concerns about the additional burden on volunteers to comply with COVID-19 protocols and procedures, community health and the impact on older volunteers, the inability to manage crowds and implement social distancing requirements and the ongoing confusion over cross border protocols.’’
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