Central Highlands Football League president Doug Hobson confirmed the league is preparing as though the 2020 season will go ahead.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However, he said crowds were essential to making it viable.
The league president was heartened by decisions on Tuesday to allow fans to AFL games this weekend.
He hoped to see it trickle down to the community level.
"We do need crowds for the supporters but also for the income it's going to generate for clubs to help them get through this time," he said.
"A lot of sponsors have committed for next year but some are struggling for dollars for this year, so we do need reasonable crowds to make this year sustainable for footy clubs."
READ MORE
Many rejoiced at news that 2000 South Australian footy fans would be allowed into Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
It followed reports that the Greater Western Sydney Giants were granted permission from the NSW government to accommodate a couple of hundred of its own fans for its clash against North Melbourne.
Hobson said he hoped the Victorian government followed suit. He said he was confident the CHFL could enforce social distancing at matches if necessary.
"Football is like a big family and we want to get people out and involved again in a safe manner, which we believe we can do," he said.
At the minute, Hobson said the CHFL was still waiting on parameters from AFL Victoria to determine crowd sizes and a start date for community football.
"We need parameters sooner rather than later because a lot of clubs are becoming frustrated with the waiting game," he said.
Meanwhile the Geelong Football League has become the first major country competition to be abandon the 2020 season.
It was one of four football leagues under the AFL Barwon umbrella to have its season officially cancelled on Tuesday.
Attention now turns to the Ballarat Football League which has set a June 26 deadline by which to decide its fate.
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thankyou very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.