SUNRAYSIA Football and Netball League action will return next weekend, however fixturing and how the finals series looks is still to be determined.
At a board meeting on Wednesday night, the SFNL confirmed play will resume at New South Wales venues to allow for crowds within restrictions.
This followed a zoom meeting with club presidents on Tuesday night, where the majority of clubs preferred to return next weekend to give themselves extra time to train.
The missed round seven and eight fixtures from lockdowns earlier in the year will be played over the next two weekends to end the home and away season, before finals series will take place. Exact fixtures are still being worked on in conjunction with the Wentworth Shire Council.
SFNL executive officer Peter Walker said revisiting the re-scheduled rounds from earlier in the year would mean all clubs will have played each other at least once this season.
“Unfortunately the competition will be compromised to some degree no matter what the resolution is,” he said.
“At this stage we will play Saturday and Sunday next week, August 7 and 8, and the following week before entering a finals series.
“How the finals looks is still to be determined. Whether or not we only use the results of the first nine rounds, or every game that has been played, is still in the works.
“Hopefully early next week we will have that sorted. Just making sure we could at least get back and play these two rounds is or first priority.”
Walker said clubs were concerned about returning to play this weekend after not having been in training together over the lockdown period, hence their decision to return next weekend.
“We have to be mindful of the opportunity that is there to hopefully have a finish to the season given the ever changing circumstances,” he said.
“There is lots to consider still and we’ll be working with all of our clubs to try and get the best possible outcome.”
These fixtures will see Imperials play Merbein, Irymple face Ouyen United, South Mildura come up against Wentworth and Red Cliffs clash with Mildura, while Robinvale Euston have the bye.
Meanwhile the Millewa Football League, Millewa Netball Association and Sunraysia Women’s Football League are also likely to return next weekend, however a consensus has yet to be reached about the the season moves forward.
Local football and netball was thrown a lifeline after the region’s border bubble with NSW was reinstated by the Victorian Government on Tuesday.
Community sport can return in Victoria however crowd restrictions have seen the SFNL try and revert to NSW grounds where crowd numbers are not capped.
