UPDATE: The Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League officially called off its 2021 premiership season at 6 pm on Monday night, past print deadline. Minor premiers have been awarded to teams atop their respective ladders, including Avoca in A grade netball and Harcourt in senior football. 

EARLIER: Victoria’s roadmap out of lockdown was delivered on Sunday and while it signalled a sense of relief across many areas of life, it has knocked community sport off the table until November 5, with winter seasons now having to throw in the towel on any finals plans.

Vaccination rates determine when Victorians will get back to doing every day things that current restrictions do not allow, such as competition sport. 

Until 80 percent of the community aged over 16 years old are fully vaccinated, predicted for November 5, community sport cannot go ahead with only training permitted. 

This will delay the start of local summer sports including cricket, tennis, indoor basketball and lawn bowls which traditionally start across the district in the next month. 

While many winter sports abandoned hopes of their first grand finals in two years long ago, the Ballarat FNL, including two local girls’ teams, the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League’s (MCDFNL) finals series and the Maryborough Soccer Club (MSC) were still plodding along in the hope that regional sport would be given the green light some time soon.

The MCDFNL is yet to speak on their season’s presumed cancellation, however the first weekend in October was set out as the final date a grand final could be played — a whole month before sport is expected to make its comeback. 

The MSC announced the cancellation of its Ballarat District Soccer Association (BDSA) season on September 13 and set out an October 1 cut-off date for its local junior tournament, which has been quashed with the latest announcement.

MSC president Jay Murdock said the junior season is now cancelled and while it is a disappointing way to end the program, he can’t understate the importance of being able to take to the pitch this year.

“We set a hard date of October 1 that if we couldn’t get it going by then it would be cancelled, so naturally it’s reached an end,” he said. 

“We are disappointed, it’s a bummer, but compared to last year where we got one game in, to get most of a season in is something to be happy about.

“The only thing we had left was finals and the teams who finished on top of the ladder will be declared minor premier.” 

This season was a milestone for the club in the BDSA, with the under 15s side returning for the first time in six years and going on to finish top three.

The senior side had its most consistent results in some time, finishing fifth with a 7-1-5 win-draw-loss ratio. 

Murdock said these representative teams make him optimistic for the future of soccer. 

“The BDSA cancellation was a bit more out of our control and the nature of travelling around Victoria for sport means that competition was cancelled even earlier,” he said.

“The plan was for 2020 to be the first year for our 15s to get some experience and just see how they went, but to do what they did this season was amazing.

“To finish third on the ladder in their first outing is a phenomenal effort. It was great to give them the opportunity to play soccer at that higher level and show off their skills.

“The senior team finished fifth, just one spot out of finals. It was a good year for us, we had a positive record which is great.

“With more teams on board than ever, some great results on field,  a strong junior competition and the goal to get a women’s team up some where down the track, the future of the club is looking really good.” 

The Ballarat FNL cancelled its senior competition last month, however was holding out hope that junior sport may go ahead earlier than expected as was the case in previous lockdowns. 

Sunday’s roadmap derailed that concept, and the league said in a statement that minor premiers will be awarded the premiership titles in lieu of play.   

“With the announcement of the roadmap for a return to activities, it is clear that community sport will not be able to commence until a fully vaccinated rate of 80 percent has been achieved, expected to be around November 5, 2021,” the statement said.  

“While the board have allowed as much time as possible to play finals, it is now evident this is not possible under the current plan. 

“This decision will at least provide certainty to all the junior players, volunteers and families that the season has concluded.”

Training and social play can currently occur outdoor for all sports and only when vax rates hit 80 percent, competition sport will again be permitted in regional Victoria.

It will apply for up to 150 fully vaccinated people indoors, while outdoors there will be a 500-person cap, both dependant on density quotas.

Outdoor seated crowds will be allowed for fully vaccinated spectators of less than 25 percent capacity or 5000 per venue, with larger crowds to be considered for  significant venues and it will also depend on the public gathering limits in place at that time.