
Three clubs across the Western Victoria Female Football League have made a final call to pull either their senior or junior teams.
Ararat has withdrawn from the senior women's fixture, leaving the competition standing at seven teams.
Meanwhile Hamilton Kangaroos and Stawell have exited the under 18 junior girls' competition, citing a lack of numbers.
League administrator Mike Farrow said he could see several factors influencing clubs' current circumstances.
"I think it's a lot of factors, it's with COVID-19 over the last few years, the stop-start seasons," Farrow said.
"You can say it has impacted a lot with people committing to playing."
I think it's a lot of factors, it's COVID-19 over the last few years, the stop-start seasons.
- Michael Farrow
The senior women's fixture has been updated, with whomever Ararat was scheduled to play now sporting a bye that weekend.
Hamilton Kangaroos' under 18 coach Fraser Robinson confirmed the club's decision to withdrawn came down to player numbers.
He said the club was looking at other alternatives to allow interested parties to continue to play.
"We don't know if it's to do with the COVID-19 part of it," he said.
"At this stage, we haven't had a meeting to discuss (where we go) but the club is talking to another club in the same boat. Whether we make one team out of two?"
The Kangaroos' women's side will prove important to continuing the club's female football pathway, with a number of juniors able to play up.
"They've got good numbers. That's probably made it good, because some of our players can do that," Robinson said.
Old Collegians, who last week put a call out for more players to avoid withdrawing from the competition, remain for the time being.
Coach Xavier Couch said he would look at where his side stands after its training on Tuesday night as it aims to reach 16 permanent players.
"We're cutting it fine in all honesty but we're waiting to see what our numbers are like this week at training," Couch said.
"I've got a couple of new players supposedly showing up, so it's dependant on that. My guess at this stage is we might just get over the line if everything goes our way."
The absence of Hamilton and Stawell in the junior competition has meant the fixture has been revised.
"The fixture has been updated on PlayHQ and what I've done is, the teams who were playing Hamilton or Stawell are now up against each other," Farrow said. "There will be three games every week."
The remaining under 18 teams are South Warrnambool, Warrnambool, Old Collegians, Portland, Terang and Horsham.
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Meg Saultry
Sports journalist at the Warrnambool Standard, with a strong interest in Australian Rules Football, basketball and women in sport. Email: meg.saultry@austcommunitymedia.com.au | mobile: 0475 949 802
Sports journalist at the Warrnambool Standard, with a strong interest in Australian Rules Football, basketball and women in sport. Email: meg.saultry@austcommunitymedia.com.au | mobile: 0475 949 802