AFL

THE 2021 MPNFL and SEWF seasons have been called off.

After weeks of inactivity on the field because of COVID-19 restrictions, AFL South East finally made the decision to pull the pin on the season last week.

A statement from AFL South East read “following on from [the] announcement to extend the lockdown for Greater Melbourne, it is with much sadness that AFLSE has determined that the remaining games fixtured for season 2021, including all finals, for all AFLSE administered leagues will be cancelled.” 

“This is an extremely difficult decision and we had continued to hold hope that we would be able to complete our season. However, it has become clear over the last 24 hours that it will not be possible to return to football in the Greater Melbourne area in the near future.  We wish to thank all club officials, players, volunteers, umpires and our partners for their willingness to remain flexible and for their understanding throughout the whole year in very difficult circumstances. 

“We will work with all leagues to manage the impact this decision has, including whether premierships will be awarded, in due course. We remain committed to running our virtual awards night for each of the competitions to provide a positive closure to the season. More information on this will be provided over the coming weeks. The ALFSE team hope that all of our communities are staying safe in these challenging times. We look forward to a safe return for the 2022 season.

“AFL Victoria will provide an update on other AFL lead programs, including Auskick, in due course.”

Other leagues statewide, including the Southern Football Netball League, have also made the decision to cancel their seasons. 

The VFL season was abandoned last week too, putting an end to Frankston’s push for finals. The Dolphins sat at six wins and five losses for the year, by far their best result since re-entering the league in 2018.

First published in the Mornington News – 7 September 2021