As each week of COVID-19 restrictions and shutdown passed by, the likelihood of it happening strengthened.

Heathcote District Football Netball League was brave enough to set the ball rolling on May 21.

It was a massive call.

This released the pressure valve and as expected there was a domino effect, although initially not as rapid as many might have imagined.

Over the past week though it has escalated and there have been three big moments.

The fall of the Eastern and Northern leagues in the Melbourne metropolitan area last week was significant.

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Then came the biggest this week for country community football and netball, with Colac and District, Geelong and District, Geelong and Bellarine leagues deciding not going ahead with a 2020 season.

The neighbouring Hampden league has now followed.

There is no question there are many more which would like to and will ultimately go down this path, fearing it is going to be too difficult to make a compacted season financially viable.

For any regular season there is a gradual build up at league and club levels to get finances in order.

Sponsorships and memberships are sold, and a social calendar with a primary objective of raising money through the year is planned.

This largely has not happened this year.

Any sponsorships and memberships which did manage to be secured have been compromised.

A shortened season might save some of these areas of support, but there is no doubt competitions will be detrimentally impacted.

Even if the Victorian Government gave the all-clear for contact community sport and crowds to return immediately - essential factors for football and netball competitions to get off the ground in any form beyond restricted training - it would still be a battle to make it work financially.

There would be a groundswell of support for competitions to go ahead, but it would put club volunteer-based administrations under extreme pressure.

There would need to be major cost cutting right from the top.

That would be non-negotiable.

Right now though, we are also almost certainly still more than a week away from the state government providing any sign of a release valve which might pave the way for any competition getting under way.

Monday, June 22, appears the likely date that Premier Daniel Andrews will announce where the return of community sport goes next.

There is obviously frustration for many Victorians as the likes of the Northern Territory and New South Wales re-open community sport, but there is no choice but to wait.

For those desperately wanting to see AFL Victoria get football up and running this year, it is impossible to be too optimistic.

There is still hope and may leagues will hang on as long as possible.

The state government has adopted a steady-as-it-goes approach right from the start and this will surely not change.

With every day that goes by though the task becomes more difficult and for many unlikely.

For most it will ultimately become just too hard.

We wait with anticipation - guessing.

That's all those continuing to hang on can do.