Western Border football senior cancellation opens up ‘super league’ possibility

Michael Summers 2020 06 16 13.46.43  TBW Newsgroup
OVER BUT NOT OUT: Western Border Football League president Michael Summers said while he is disappointed the league had to call an end to the 2020 season before it had a chance to kick off, three are some positives going forward.

Michael Summers 2020 06 16 13.46.43 TBW Newsgroup
OVER BUT NOT OUT: Western Border Football League president Michael Summers said while he is disappointed the league had to call an end to the 2020 season before it had a chance to kick off, there are some positives going forward.

THE Western Border Football League, in conjunction with the Western Border Netball Association, Monday night announced it has called an end to the 2020 season before it had a chance to kick off due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, a new “super league” could emerge from the ashes, with the WBFL and KNTFL in mothballs for the season and now ready to go in such a competition, while the Mid South Eastern

Football League is yet to make a decision on its season, due tonight.

The WBFL held on for as long as possible in the hope of play going ahead, until at least one team could not see a way forward.

The league has stated in the past it would not play the season if Casterton Sandford could not be a part of it due to border restrictions.

However, border restrictions ultimately did not play a huge role in the decision.

In the end the Cats decided it was simply too hard to go ahead.

While the borders are set to open in the coming weeks, the Cats have been hamstrung with training procedures and of course the cross-border restrictions currently in place, which have not allowed coach Tom Renzi to take an active part in training.

Once the Cats made the call the final decision therefore came from the league with no vote required from other clubs.

The WBFL and WBNA released a statement which said “the decision was made together” and “preparing for the 2020 season had been plagued with difficulties, including border closures, differing

state regulations and the hygiene and social distancing protocols which have been implemented to ensure a safe environment. The WBFL and WBNA have worked closely together throughout this

difficult period, not only with each other but with the member clubs, in a bid to do everything possible to get a 2020 season up and running”.

Speaking to The Border Watch after Monday’s meeting WBFL president Michael Summers said it was a disappointing end to the season, but it was a decision the league had to make.

“We made a decision as a board last week if someone pulled out the Western Border would not go ahead,” he said.

“We also wanted to stand as one with the netball – if the netball had decided to pull out we would not have gone ahead.

“We have not hidden that all year and were just waiting for a club to do that.

“In the end it was Casterton, but that was not the final decision.

“Casterton gave us blessing to play, but we did not think it was right.

“We wanted to stand as one league.”

Junior competition will go on, with Under 18 down to Under 12 football still to run, while the junior netball will also look to run a season.

Summers said he hoped to continue some form of football in 2020, with discussions with clubs at the meeting and with the Limestone Coast Football Council.

He said the “super league” scenario would possibly include the Mid South East and Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara leagues, depending on the decision made by the MSEFL board tonight.

“It will be in conjunction with the Limestone Coast Football Council and the SANFL, with some Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara teams and we are waiting on the Mid South East decision,” Summers said.

“It has been in the pipeline – I wanted some form of football here for our other clubs who wanted to play.”

Summers said Michael Mourbey and Scott Duncan would head the new program, with the hope to pull together enough clubs to run a strong, possibly round-robin style, competition.

He said the possibility was for a hub-style program similar to how the Limestone Coast Women’s Football League runs.

“Expressions of interest will go out after Mid South East makes its decision (tonight) – the Mid South East could go ahead at this stage and I wish them luck,” Summers said.

“If this super league goes ahead, I thought maybe we could have like a hub-style setup with two or three games going at one venue.

“We could have three senior games on the one day at one venue, then the following week at another venue similar to what the women do.”

Summers said he expected at least three WBFL clubs to participate at this stage, along with the possibility of several KNTFL clubs.

Much will depend on what decision is made by the MSEFL, but it appears football is certainly not done and dusted for 2020 at this stage.