Senior and junior community club action, which on the local front would include Bendigo Amateur Soccer League and Shepparton Junior Soccer Association, is being targeted for June 28.
The proposal would have the Goulburn Valley Suns’ juniors resume their National Premier League season on June 20, while the club's senior players would be forced to wait a little longer to take to the pitch with the season targeted for early July, with FV acknowledging "added complexities" associated with semi-professional clubs.
While many clubs in the NPL's top-tier have reportedly expressed concerns about competing this season due to a lack of crowds and associated match-day income, Football Victoria chief executive Peter Filopoulos told The Age the Suns’ NPL2 division was set to proceed.
“We have got all the NPL2 and NPL3 clubs on board wanting to play out their season. We have a handful of top-tier teams who also want to play, maybe nine or 10 who have doubts and have not changed their minds yet,” Filopoulos said.
“We are working on solutions. We would expect that some will change their minds before we do kick off, but we can't say how many or who.”
But it is believed all top-tier NPL clubs would continue to field junior teams, meaning the Suns would remain playing against their standard opposition.
Football Victoria allowed training to resume on Monday with modified conditions to meet government regulations, including training in groups of no more than 10, no contact permitted and no heading of the ball.
The SJSA had previously indicated it would aim for a July 18 return to playing, the first week of term three, while the BASL is yet to release any plans for its season.
A list of COVID-19-related frequently asked questions can be viewed at https://www.footballvictoria.com.au/
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