Ballarat Football Netball League chairman Adrian Bettio says losing players to other competitions was an issue he had been concerned about when discussing whether or not a junior season would go ahead this year.
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It was confirmed last week that the BFNL junior season was off, with a lack of interest from member clubs forcing the hand of the league board.
A quick look at the transfers page on the Central Highlands league website now shows an influx of footballers from the BFNL looking for a game in 2020.
The CHFL will go ahead with under-18, under-15 and under-12 grades and all three are set to start next Saturday, July 11.
As a result of the BFNL season being cancelled, the CHFL re-opened the window for team entries and had three more clubs submit sides.
Bettio wanted to make it clear that BFNL clubs had been warned about players leaving the competition if a junior season wasn't to get up and running.
"They were made really quite aware of the fact that there was a possibility that it would affect their ability to maintain players and player participation moving forward," he told The Courier on Saturday.
"We don't have any control in regards to players working within the guidelines of the COVID-19 permit.
"I'm sure there are clubs out there now that perhaps on the back of the recent interest that has been shown in playing through the permits with the Central Highlands, they may wish that perhaps they had reconsidered their options a little bit more."
While some players have been cleared to CHFL clubs through the normal process, some have utilised the new COVID-19 permit system. This will see those players revert back to their original club at the end of the season.
However, there could be fears that those players decide to then return to the CHFL side they played with in 2020 and that this could have an impact on numbers at BFNL clubs.
Meanwhile, Darley president Mark Shelley has questioned some of the motives of CHFL clubs which have decided to field teams in 2020.
"What I'm questioning is why clubs that initially decided that they weren't fielding teams, now all of a sudden think it's okay to field teams," he said.
"I have no problem that 10 other clubs think they've got the right protocols and they can do things safely, I have no problem with that. Now all of a sudden you have other clubs come along because they get an influx of Ballarat league players, now they think it's safe and right to go."