Junior seasons locked in

Modified junior community football and netball seasons will start on July 25 with 15 clubs from across Wimmera and Horsham District leagues as well as Kowree-naracoorte-tatiara league’s Kaniva-leeor United.

AFL Wimmera Mallee has announced a draw for the competition, the result of an exploration into ways to allow junior players to participate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

All senior community football and netball remains cancelled.

The eight-week junior competitions feature under-17 and under-14 football and under-13, under-15 and under-17 netball age groups. Competitions will follow strict guidelines.

Operations process • Venue decided by home team – partnered teams to share venues evenly when possible. • Key football-netball contacts to be shared on a Google Doc.

• Each football team is to supply an umpire, goal umpire and for under-17s two boundary umpires. Under-14 football will involve bringing the ball in and throwing it up. • Each team is responsible for keeping a handwritten team sheet for both football and netball for insurance and attendance logs. • Games will not count as club games on the official AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria databases. • Management of State Governmentafl Vic-local government protocols to be addressed by the home team. Marsh Insurance and NV Insurance requirements to be managed by the home team.

Default recommended times Football, under-14, 10am, under-17, 11.30am; netball, under-13, 10am, under-15, 11am, under-17, noon.

Game duration Football, under-14, four 15-minute quarters, under-17, four 20-minute; netball, under-13, four 10-minute, under-15, four 12-minute, under-17, four 12-minute quarters. Under-12 football and moddies netball can be arranged between clubs.

Expectations • All players and spectators must meet current State Government protocols. Repeated failure to comply with protocols will result in ceasing the competition. • Each club must meet local government cleaning protocols for changerooms. Teams can keep changerooms closed to reduce the cleaning requirements and social-distancing requirements. If a club does decide not to use the changerooms, this must be clearly communicated to visiting teams by the Tuesday before the next game. • Canteens need to be approved by local government. • Partner clubs must address jumperdress uniform issues.

• Competition is focused on participation – not winning. • All mercy rules will apply and officials are encouraging clubs to consider mixing up teams before play. To reduce the need for a volunteer, the coaches or team manager are to keep the score on the boundary line, only for the purpose of establishing the margin for the mercy rule to be evoked. There is no need to display a score on the main scoreboard. • Swifts do not have netball teams. AFL Wimmera Mallee is waiting on word from Great Western club on whether it is willing to be a partner. First-round draw, Saturday, July 25: Noradjuha-quantong v Laharum, Minyip-murtoa v Dimboola, Kalkee v Warrack Eagles-rupanyup, Horsham v Horsham Saints, Pimpinio v Swifts, Ararat v Stawell, Natimuk United v Nhill-kaniva, Southern Mallee Giants-jeparit-rainbow, bye.