Crowd numbers will be key if 2020 seasons for the Wimmera and Horsham District football leagues are to kick off, with a minimum of 500 people at games needed to make competitions viable.
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Contact sporting competitions resuming from July 20 in Victoria was seen as good news, but the leagues were still "digesting" the information.
AFL Wimmera-Mallee area manager, Jason Muldoon, said that the issue of crowd numbers needed to be addressed before the next steps could be taken.
"It's positive that training and clubrooms can be reopened, but crowds have not really been addressed," he said.
Muldoon said after talking to clubs in the area a crowd of around 500, excluding players, would be manageable.
He said they would be seeking further clarity from the Victorian Government about how many people could head through the gates at a game before meetings this week about the 2020 season.
OTHER NEWS:
A state government spokesperson confirmed to the Ballarat Courier that crowds would be able to attend outdoor sport under strict conditions. Spectators would be confined to separate groups of up to 20, with no interaction between groups and social distancing adhered to within each group.
It was announced on Sunday that local footy teams, soccer clubs and other contact sports would be able to resume training for over 18s from July 13. From July 20 full competitions could also kick off. Clubs and community facilities will also be able to reopen their changerooms.
All sports training and competition will resume on June 22 for those aged 18 years and under, with non-contact sports competition also beginning across all age groups.
Time was starting to be a factor, with a narrow window for football seasons in the Wimmera area to be completed before cricket started.
Horsham District is looking a 10 round and Wimmera an eight round season but "the start was a bit tight" to get a premiership in by the end of September, Muldoon said.
"Wimmera has a two week buffer so it might be more achievable,"he said. "It's very tight".
Wimmera Football League commissioner Trevor Albrecht said they were hoping for a full, half season where all teams played each other once.
He said talks had been held with cricket organisations about the season being pushed into October to get the games played.
"But we need more from the Government around crowd numbers," he said.
