Football is currently postponed until at least May 31, with FV getting feedback from its clubs on their appetite to play later into the year, as well as assessing what clubs would have access to facilities to that point.
Locally, NPL club Goulburn Valley Suns and Bendigo Amateur Soccer League clubs Shepparton United and Shepparton South could continue using facilities at McEwen Reserve with no summer tenant.
Fellow BASL clubs Shepparton and Tatura share Vibert Reserve and Howley Oval with cricket clubs, although with matches scheduled for Sundays would appear to have the facilities for a late finish.
Importantly, Filopoulos said plans to recommence the NPL season would include junior play.
“Our broad assumption is we're going to resume football at some stage this year,” he said.
“On that basis, we are scenario planning in the background, what does it look like if we resume in June, what does it look like if we resume in July, what does it look like if we resume in August.
“We're having a look at what facilities we'd have at play, at the various levels from NPL right down, including juniors.
“At this stage with NPL, we believe we can complete the seniors and the junior program because we believe we have access to enough facilities right through to December if we needed to use them.”
At the community level, Filopoulos said a shortened campaign would be necessary to complete a season.
“That will be depending on when we resume again, whether we can complete the full seasons, we only need 14 or 15 weeks to do that, or will it be part-completion,” he said.
“But that scenario planning is happening in the background. We don't want to give up on the seasons, and it's important to note the other winter sports which I'm consulting with on a regular basis, they're not giving up on resuming community sport either.”
Filopoulos said suggestions the entire season would be cancelled were premature, and added the governing body had not yet considered the notion of playing all matches behind closed doors.
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