By Trevor Jackson
THE Western Border Football League is pushing ahead with a plan to squeeze the final four minor rounds of competition into the shortened season before the finals series amid the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
Two catch-up rounds and another two minor rounds remain, before the finals kick in.
Semi-finals will now be played on the same weekend, with the grand final to clash with the Mid South East competition on September 18.
It all comes after sports competitions in the state were put on hold until next week, despite South Australia coming out of the latest coronavirus lockdown.
The lockdown ended at midnight on Tuesday, but not for sport.
Sporting clubs can train, but competition is not allowed until the following week – at this stage – which affects all sport in the region.
According to SA police commissioner Grant Stevens the reason is to keep people apart from different geographical areas.
He said training was conducted with the same people each session, where competition meant bringing teams and people together from different regions, which could cause a wider outbreak should someone be carrying the coronavirus.
All football and netball competitions in the Limestone Coast are closing in on the end of the minor rounds, but there is still the chance to play out a strong end to the respective seasons if all goes to plan.
The Mid South East and Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara leagues have not been affected as much as the Western Border Football League, with the Casterton Sandford side also having had to conform to Victorian restrictions previously, which has obviously changed the WBFL fixture.
A meeting was scheduled this week for the WBFL to discuss the situation, with the outcome not to everyone’s liking.
However, league president Michael Summers said it was the best outcome at this stage.
“We put it out to the clubs … the scenario was four weeks to get the next four rounds in then play our grand final on September 18,” Summers said.
“The clubs have come back and some have said they don’t want to play the grand final the same week as the Mid South East or they will lose money, but we are in the same position we were two years ago when we played North versus West at Millicent, with the Mid South East grand final at Mount Burr the same day.
“It really didn’t impact our crowds too much.”
Summers said the board felt it was important to play even rounds, which brings the catch-up Round 9 into the equation first.
“We have to play Round 9 first, that means everyone will have played each other evenly,” he said.
“If we get hit again or they say we can play but with no crowds, we will lose another week because clubs don’t want to play with no crowds, so we have to play that Round 9 first no matter what we do.”
Round 9 is set for August 7, followed by the catch-up Round 13 on August 14, Round 14 on August 21, Round 15 on August 28, the second and first semi-finals on September 4 and 5 respectively, the preliminary final on September 11 and the grand final on September 18.
Summers said it was all subject to change at this stage, depending on whether the SA government allows crowds and subsequently if the clubs want to play without crowds, which will affect their ability to cover costs.
