TOP OF LADDER WASH-OUT

The much anticipated top of the table clash between Leongatha and Maffra was called off on Saturday.

The Maffra ground was flooded after heavy rain in the region during the week and despite a couple of days of pumping the water away the club decided it would be a dangerous surface on Saturday and games would risk damage to the oval that would impact the rest of the season.

Leongatha understood the situation.

A decision on whether the games - all football and the six netball games - are rescheduled was to be made by the league last night (after the Gazette’s deadline for publication).

Gippsland League did investigate alternative venues to transfer the game to on Saturday but none apparently were available.

If the matches cannot be rescheduled - it would be a bit of a farce if they are not - the teams will be awarded two premiership points each.

There is a split round 15 included in the fixture, one game on Saturday, July 30 (Warragul v. Leongatha) and four games on August 6.

It is there precisely for this type of situation that has happened in the past.

All it requires for Leongatha and Maffra to play the game scheduled for last weekend is for the Moe v. Maffra match at Moe on August 6 to be brought forward a week and Leongatha and Maffra to play the following week.

Gippsland League chairman Greg Maidment said the league’s netball sub-committee was also consulted about cancelling the games at Maffra last Saturday.

Netball is another good reason to reschedule the matches with the two affected clubs having sides pushing for finals positions.

It had also been wet at Traralgon during the week - more than 60 millimetres of rain - but the condition of the ground on Saturday was superb.

There’d be few players that wouldn’t mind playing every week on a surface like that at Traralgon on Saturday.

Quite a bit of work went into getting it into tip-top shape including use of a Super-Sopper to soak up any surface water.

The Gippsland league board of management and club presidents were to meet last night.

I suspect it would have been a busy agenda, finals arrangements among the business.

But it is also understood some want to raise the idea of reducing numbers of players in reserves’ teams to 16 (plus interchange). Can’t understand it. After all, it is the region’s major league and reserves are a vital component at all clubs.

There are already provisions in the rules for situations where injuries deplete playing lists and clubs can come to agreements to play 16 a side.

It happened last Saturday with Drouin versus Traralgon.

There is still no word on Korumburra-Bena’s appeal to join the new West Gippsland league next year rather than play in Alberton league.

Haven’t been given a reason why a decision is taking so long.

But with only a few weeks remaining this season it is getting close to the time when clubs plan for the year ahead and need to have some certainty.

In this case it is not just Korumburra-Bena but the other clubs Alberton and West Gippsland that deserve to know quickly.

The decisions of the review undertaken by AFL Gippsland into league structures in the region were due to have been finalised several months ago.