THE WARRNAMBOOL and District league has asked its members to "bear with us" as it waits for clarity before locking in fixture changes and plans for returning to playing.
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The Victorian coronavirus lockdown was extended by seven days on Tuesday following growing coronavirus cases of the delta variant across the state.
The WDFNL was to play round 16 of its season on Saturday but due to restrictions the league has pressed pause.
President Kylie Murphy said in a statement to the league's members, which was released on Saturday, that the WDFNL's board would wait for more clarity.
"As a board, we had discussed to meet regarding the outcome of the fixture and finals last week but came to the conclusion that we couldn't make a decision when the government has not yet released any news of the easing of restrictions," she said in the statement.
"We would ask that you bear with us as we are not taking this lightly. There are so many options being thrown around and there are no easy answers.
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"At the present we are not going to change the final three games of the fixture in any way and hope we can play a full finals series with crowds.
"Until we have crowds, we are not keen on playing, this would make a hard year even harder playing without crowds."
Murphy said decisions will be based on many factors and following advice from AFL Victoria, Netball Victoria and the state government.
She said the board would make a decision sometime next week.
"The board will have a better understanding of any expected changes to restrictions on Tuesday, which will enable a more efficient and informed discussion before committing any 'what if' scenarios for the league," she said.
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"We understand that a lot of people are wanting more information, however, it is pointless to speculate on what could happen with so many unknowns still at play.
"As soon as a plan can be made with any degree of confidence the board will communicate with your clubs."
Murphy highlighted the unusual times the world is living in and said the league needed to think about the welfare and health of its 10 clubs, its members and the wider community when making its decision.
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
