Sponsorship is going to be much tougher to secure right across the board in the fall-out from COVID-19.

Commercial partnerships will continue, but they will be harder to come by and in many cases certainly not as lucrative as we have become accustomed to.

Sporting organisations have also relied on financial backing by way of good faith and long-term personal relationships in addition to commercial deals.

Some of these will continue, but right now it is difficult to imagine the level of "hand-outs" remaining the same.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Other forms of income for the sporting community will also be much harder to source as families - the lifeblood of community sport - are impacted in the hip pocket.

Many clubs and parent bodies will have to adopt new financial models, with a focus on the basics to ensure they can continue their core objectives.

If maintaining everyday operations is going take a rethink, so too will sporting infrastructure needs.

All levels of government are being pushed to their financial limit in keeping the Australian economy's head above water now. In the face COVID-19, it is all about now.

City of Ballarat chief executive officer Justine Linley put it on the line for the Ballarat community when she stated that it would take council 10 years to return to the strong financial position it was in at the start of 2020.

This will surely mean a relook at many planned projects.

Patience is going be required by stakeholders, with the sporting community no exception.

Fortunately Ballarat sport is well placed and can afford to be patient.

Ballarat City Council has over the past decade - and a little bit longer - had the vision to invest in sporting infrastructure, attracting seven-figure sums from state and federal governments to complement its own contributions for numerous projects.

These have included Mars Stadium, which already hosts AFL, A-League and Super Rugby; Ballarat Sports and Events Centre, catering for national basketball tournaments, and elite basketball and netball; an indoor 50m swimming pool; Lake Wendouree's international rowing course; nationally acclaimed Ballarat regional soccer facility; and the city's major football and cricket grounds.

Ballarat has also been developed as the home of Australian road cycling.

And the list goes on.

Of course there is more to be done.

A wish-list remains, particularly to support the growing needs for female sports.

Funding has been promised for some substantial developments.

However, if there is to be a wait post COVID-19 for these, Ballarat will be able to ride it out with what it already has on the ground - many first class community sporting facilities meeting the needs of a growing region.