The Central Highlands Football League junior season will roll on this Saturday despite five clubs withdrawing teams from the competition over the past week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Courier reported on Monday night that Springbank had made the tough decision to take out all three of its teams for the remainder of the year.
The CHFL then confirmed the Tigers had been joined on the sidelines by Bungaree, which has also withdrawn under-18, under-15 and under-12 outfits.
"The committee today decided to withdraw from the junior football competition for the remainder of this season due to COVID-19 and the risk to all involved," Demons president Andrew Mahar posted in a statement on Facebook.
"The decision was made for not only the safety of all players but the safety and well-being of all in these trying times.
"We are a very strong and proud club who will always battle to the end in all circumstances. Unfortunately COVID-19 is the big unknown that we aren't willing to risk."
Rokewood-Corindhap has indicated it will not field under-18s, but will stay in the under-15 and under-12 divisions.
Grasshoppers president Addy Walton said the club gave all its teams the opportunity to make a decision and the under-15 and under-12 sides wanted to continue on while the under-18s didn't.
Springbank, Bungaree and Rokewood-Corindhap were among those clubs that sat out over the weekend due to COVID-19 scares.
This news follows the withdrawal of both Newlyn and Daylesford last week.
CHFL president Doug Hobson said the league wouldn't hesitate in calling off the season if circumstances changed, but believed there remained enough interest from member clubs to continue on in 2020.
"We've had 330 (COVID permits) come in up to late last week and that was from other leagues and some of our own clubs, kids that wanted to play," Hobson said.
"There is the flavour there for peple to still want to play and get into competitive sport, providing we do it under the right guidelines and with all our protocols."
READ MORE
This news follows the withdrawal of both Newlyn and Daylesford last week.
The Central Highlands Football League will now prepare a new fixture for all three grades.
