BFNL rejigs season fixture

SOME games in the current McDonalds Ballarat Football Netball League have been rescheduled or abandoned as competition managers’ seek to cope with impacts of the most recent spate of COVID lockdowns.

As a result of lost weeks in late May and early June, round seven and eight are being played over last and this weekend, while round 11 will go ahead as planned on 3 July.

Then things get a bit trickier. Rounds 9 and 10 will be played on 10 July and 17 July respectively, with round 12 and 13 abandoned altogether.

“The priority for the league has been to ensure all clubs play each other at least once which is the minimum requirement to ensure a premiership season and will be achieved through the completion of round 10 scheduled for 17th July,” a statement from the BFNL said.

“The revised game schedule ensures fixture integrity through all clubs having seven home and away games, along with two byes.”

As part of the plan, BFNL managers hope to have the clubs currently covered by spectator limits as part of metropolitan Melbourne’s COVID restrictions – Melton, Melton South, Sunbury – able to have crowds this weekend, depending on State Government directions.

Lastly the highly popular Western Bulldogs Under 9 competition returned last Friday and is back on again this week.