The Standard |WARRNAMBOOL and District Football Netball League will be forced to miss the AFL Victoria Community Championships this year.
The league’s scheduled opponent Loddon Valley previously announced it was withdrawing from the match, planned for Warrnambool in May, but the WDFNL had tabled a compromise to try to ensure the game went ahead.
It offered to give up its home ground advantage by taking the game to Loddon Valley’s domain, but when that fell through this week, the Warrnambool league was left in the lurch.
“They didn’t want to play at all, so we’re left with no opponent and the draw is already set,” WDFNL president Barry Crimmin said.
“Although the VCFL put up some extra money for us to travel – and we were prepared as a league to put up the money to travel – that just didn’t happen.
“So we’ll be having a weekend off that weekend, apart from the juniors, who will be playing over in Portland on the Sunday.”
The withdrawal put paid to plans for a Reid Oval double-header, with the WDFNL and Hampden league initially anticipating home clashes in the championships.
Crimmin said the WDFNL was keen to continue on the interleague path, three years after making its return.
“Especially because they’ve won the last couple and it’s a pretty dedicated group of fellas,” he said.
A month ago, Loddon Valley league chair Colleen Rogers said the decision to withdraw from the championships had not been made lightly, but a high volume of away fixtures prompted the decision, which was made after consulting with clubs.
The HFNL will host regular community championships foe Ovens and Murray on the weekend of May 21 and 22.