The CHFL, in agreement with opponent North Central, will instead have a standalone encounter at Learmonth on Saturday, May 18.

A disappointed BFNL will continue with plans to meet Hampden at the venue - the setting for all its marquee games.

The CHFL, in announcing the decision on Tuesday via a statement released by its manager Diane Ryan, cited having different grounds for senior and under-age football games, and costs related to playing at the AFL ground as the reasons for pulling out.

The statement read: "The administration and boards of each league (CHFL and NCFNL) understand intimately the level of revenue generated through these interleague fixtures and the expenses required to undertake a fixture at a venue of the quality of Mars Stadium.

"Each is conscious that despite financial support from AFL Victoria and generous partners, losses through interleague programs have to be eventually covered by member clubs and as such need to prudently manage these losses.

"Each league is also very committed to building a representative program which shows a continuity and link between its under-age and senior representative teams.

"Having to shift an under-18 match to a venue away from Mars Stadium is not going to show that support in the manner which they believe is in line with their strategic direction of representative football."

With Ballarat City Council only permitting two games on the ground for the day as part of its surface management plan, only the two senior fixtures were to have been played at Mars Stadium.

Two under-age matches involving the leagues were to have been played at the neighbouring CE Brown Reserve.

BFNL operations manager Shane Anwyl said it was disappointing the doubleheader was not going ahead.

He said BFNL saw the proposal as a great opportunity to showcase the region's best players at a great venue.

Anwyl said planning had been well advanced for football and netball fixtures.

"We'd reached in-principle agreement and were working through the organisational aspects."

Anwyl acknowledged that there was a greater cost in having matches at Mars Stadium, but having four leagues involved would have offset the impact on each.

He said there were always costs associated with running an interleague program, but the BFNL believed it was important to give its players an opportunity to show their talent at the highest possible level, as well as the best venues available.

"We are disappointed we could reach a compromise to see this doubleheader go ahead.''

Anwyl said Ballarat City Council had made it clear from the outset that just the two matches would be permitted on the ground on the day.

He said the BFNL believed playing the two under-age matches on a neighbouring ground would have worked well.

Anwyl said the plan had been to play the matches at Wendouree in reserve order at a corresponding time to allow supporters of each league to see each of their teams in action.

The change also means a planned under-17 netball game between the BFNL and CHNL will not go ahead.

This match-up was being arranged as a curtain-raiser to the BFNL v HFNL and CHNL v NCFNL senior encounters at Mars Stadium.