The 'ring of steel' about Melbourne has not even been dismantled and the state government is putting out what it deems a likely goal for a morale booster.

It would be great to be excited, only a lot could change in eight weeks. There was a back-flip last week alone on allowing connections of horses into Mooney Valley for the Cox Plate.

Our grassroots clubs know all too well how quickly conditions can change in an attempt to get juniors back in action between lockdowns.

Are we ready to be seriously considering 25,000 fans at the MCG on Boxing Day?

This would fill the 'G to 25 per cent capacity, compared to the GABBA in Brisbane, which was 75 per cent full with 30,000 for AFL Grand Final day last Saturday night.

In saying that, these are different states with different conditions and experiencing different pandemic impacts.

If the state government is putting out there a 25,000-fan target for Boxing Day then it would seem more than reasonable they should be considering upcoming major events for regional Victoria.

The problem being so much is so speculative right now and can change so fast.

We are still waiting a decision on how and when the Cycling Australia Road National Championships might play out in Ballarat early next year.

The championships are a different beast in that they have always been a rock-up street party festival, unlike the stadium crowd for a Test match.

It is not impossible to consider limiting spectator numbers in areas, like mini gatherings along the Sturt Street gardens for the criteriums, or perhaps timed and ticketed access to socially distance at the race races' King of the Mountain point on Mount Buninyong.

Not to mention the added logistical issues in attracting riders and their teams from across the nation in comparison to somewhat easier to control cricket hubs for a Test match.

And so we wait for more cycling details.

A potential National Basketball League hub is a major event Ballarat should feature in. The prospect for an NBL hub in Victoria continues to be touted with the league looking to make a delayed start in January.

Basketball Ballarat operations manager Mark Valentine told The Courier there had been a fleeting mention of a Victorian-based hub and this city was open to hosting games, should everything fall into place under COVID-19 restrictions - whatever the restrictions might be.

The NBL might not need a hub. If it does, the NBL might choose to keep all nine teams based in Melbourne.

But we should be in the running, along with Bendigo. Both our cities boasting new state-of-the-art showcourts - ours holds 3,000 fans, theirs 4,000 - and are proven to host major sporting events. Both cities also have strong basketball followings.

NBL chief executive, now commissioner, Jeremy Loeliger told The Courier early last year Ballarat had geat potential to host an in-season game - that was before Ballarat Sports and Events Centre opened its doors.

Women's National Basketball League played an in-season game in BSEC last year but already set up a hub in northern Queensland for a mid-November start.

Indoor sports have not got the green-light to tip-off in Victoria.

Is Victoria ready for major event crowds? Time will soon tell. If the state government is talking 25,000 fans at the MCG on Boxing Day, they they should be talking major events in regional Victoria too. We know we can host major sporting events well. We do not know in what form these might take in the near-future, but we need to be ready to adapt.

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