South-west sporting figures, MP weigh in on community sport crowd tiers

Hampden Football Netball League president Garry Perrett said there were issues with the state government's directions on how many people can attend community sporting events.

"50,000 people are allowed at the MCG but we can't have over a thousand. It's not consistent and the country people are missing out.," he said.

It comes after Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell called for common sense to prevail.

"If the health advice says the MCG can host 50,000 then why doesn't it apply across the board?" she said.

"Yesterday it was announced the Stawell Gift would have a crowd of 5000 people. In New South Wales 3000 people can attend a local sporting event.

"The MCG is far more enclosed than Hanlon Park in Portland so why is the virus risk greater at a Portland Tigers' game as opposed to a Richmond Tigers' game?

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"If the Stawell Gift can have 5000 people at its outdoor venue why can't the North Warrnambool Eagles footy and netball club have 5000 people at Bushfield?

"It just doesn't make sense - the government says all its restrictions are based on health advice but these inconsistencies make you question if that is the case."

Ms Britnell said she had repeatedly requested the state government to release the health advice behind its decision making but had been refused.

Warrnambool Racing Club is in a holding pattern too as it awaits confirmation from the state government on its tier one event application for its popular three-day TAB May Racing Carnival on May 4-6.

Chief Executive Tom O'Connor said the club hoped to have 6000 patrons on the Tuesday and Wednesday and 12,000 on the Thursday after spectators weren't absent from last year's event.

He said the club's situation was more complex than the MCG's.

"Obviously it's a seated event within a stadium and it's quite a different application to what we envisage for our event," he said.

"What we experience on the racecourse is a little more complex with what we are trying to achieve."

O'Connor said interest was high for the 2021 edition of the historic jumps carnival.

"We're getting numerous enquires on a daily basis from locals and people looking to travel," he said.

"The key for us is to work with the Victorian Government on the framework so we can be a COVID-safe event.

"They are key to that and a lot of the public enquiries we get we don't have all the answers for at the moment but the key message is as soon as we know we will communicate it."

Perrett said the crowd caps currently would not effect the Hampden league, which starts in April, too much.

"Most weeks we don't get a thousand so it's fine as we won't get more than that," he said.

"A couple of games like the first game with Koroit and South Warrnambool (on Good Friday) and Portland and Hamilton Kangaroos on Anzac Day might go over 1000, which makes it hard.

"It's difficult but the rest of them wouldn't be affected until finals time."

Warrnambool and District league president Kylie Murphy was contacted for comment.

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