WDFNL clubs pleased league has revealed its 2021 finals plan

The league has revealed its plan for its 2021 finals series in the hope games can be played in the coming weeks.

There's currently no football and netball allowed because of the state's coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

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Old Collegians president Jason Moloney spoke highly of the league for putting forward its scenarios for play.

The Warriors' A grade netball team, which finished in fifth place, will miss finals under the revamped finals proposal.

But some of its netball teams and its reserves and under 18 football sides remain in the hunt - if the season resumes.

"The district league is doing the best it can in putting up a couple of scenarios that are feasible in the current climate," Moloney said.

"It's not too dissimilar from what we're seeing in other leagues; there's plenty of leagues up around Geelong way that are replicating the two-week finals or even a one-week final series."

Moloney said opting to run with a top-four rather than the traditional top-five would've been a challenging decision for the league board.

"I wouldn't imagine the district league would've done it lightly," he said.

"They are just trying to make a scenario which might work and give the clubs a bit of foresight on that which I think is great, at least we have some dates to work towards and can have a look at what we can do and then, if the restrictions don't ease up in those time-frames, then so be it."

Panmure's senior teams, which finished fourth in the football and netball, remain in the finals mix.

Football coach Chris Bant was thrilled to get clarity.

"It's good to at least know there is a date and we know what we're up against," he said.

Like Moloney he appreciates the league's board is doing the best it can in the circumstances.

His troops won't need much motivating if they get the chance to hit the park again.

"The boys are all still pretty keen which is a good thing," he said.

If it all goes to plan the fourth-ranked Bulldogs would face Nirranda in the first week of finals.

"We'll just approach it like we approach every game and just go in there and give the best we can," he said.

He noted the Blues would go in red-hot favourites but that favourites had been beaten in the past.

Bant highlighted it would be hard for teams to be at their best for finals given the lack of training allowed.

But he acknowledged everyone was in the same boat and the Bulldogs would consider doing more online such as watching game footage.

If Panmure and Nirranda meet, the quarters will be shortened to 15 minutes each plus time-on.

Bant was surprised by the decision but feels the best team will still prevail.

Bulldogs A grade netball mentor Josie Ellerton said it was fantastic the club's teams still had the opportunity to play.

"The league has done really well and has presented us an option and given us a date so we sort of know where we're at," she said.

Like the footballers, Panmure's netballers would now face top-ranked Nirranda if restrictions eased.

While the Bulldogs have the league's biggest challenge, Ellerton can see the positive.

"From a forth-placed team's point-of-view, you have as much chance as anyone to make a grand final which is fantastic," she said.

She noted by finishing fourth the Bulldogs were going to have do-or-die clashes all the way through finals anyway.

The coach said the lockdown-enforced break had impacted player availability which added to the challenge for the group.

Nirranda football coach Brayden Harkness said the league's pathway removed uncertainty and gave his players "something to work towards".

"I sent a message around to the boys and said 'we've come this far and it's only another three weeks, three sessions a week isn't going to hurt'," Harkness said.

"If there is no final outcome and we don't get back, it's only another three weeks. I think that's the main point. If they had have said we can push our season right to the end of October, that's when it becomes a bit of a drag and the uncertainty would creep in and affect a lot of guys.

"Now we know it's a finite, three-week period, I think that'll really motivate the guys that bit extra to think we could be coming out of lockdown on a Thursday and playing on a Saturday.

"We're not going to have that lead-in time to build-up our loading and work on our structures and everything like that. We could literally be out of lockdown one day and playing the next."

Harkness said the proposal to shorten quarters for week one of the finals series was sensible.

He said playing finals footy on the back of a three-week lockdown with regular-length quarters would prove testing.

South Rovers president Dennis Bushell said the club was disappointed its seniors and under 18s wouldn't feature but supported the Warrnambool and District league's decision.

He said the focus would shift to supporting Rovers' reserves and under 15s, which finished fourth and third respectively.

Bushell said it was important to note "there are no winners with COVID".

The president commended senior coach Adam Matheson for his work and described his output as "tireless".

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