GRASSROOTS football grand finals could be played in mid-October following an agreement between AFL Victoria and Cricket Victoria.
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The two state bodies released a joint statement on Friday as they try and navigate COVID-19 and the restrictions facing sports.
Country football leagues, such as the Hampden and Warrnambool and District competitions, would have priority access to grounds for home-and-away fixtures until Sunday, September 27, if they proceeded.
Junior seasons must be completed on or before Sunday, October 11 and senior finals fixtures completed by Sunday, October 18.
Victorian Premier Cricket will have access to its fields from Saturday, October 10 and junior cricket competitions from Friday, October 16.
All other senior cricket competitions, such as Warrnambool and District, Grassmere and South West, would have priority access from Friday, October 23.
If country football leagues abandon their seasons - which is a possibility given potential crowd restrictions - or complete their competitions by the end of September then cricket associations will retain priority flexibility to schedule matches from October 1.
WDCA chairman Gordon McLeod said it was pleasing to have guidelines.
"Sounds like at this stage it is not going to be effecting the commencement of our season," he said.
"Last year we started in the first week of October and juniors start around the middle of the month so moving two weeks later into October is very workable for senior cricket.
"Everyone has now got a guideline and knows they can't do anything before and can't do anything after these dates.
"It's important to get an understanding of where the guidelines and parameters are that we can work in."
WDFNL president Kylie Murphy welcomed the guidelines.
"The dates that the AFL Victoria and Cricket Victoria have come to an agreement on will help with a potential fixture being set the latest possible start and finish date," she said.
"The surrounding leagues working towards the same goal within these dates will make it easier for all."
She said it was important sporting bodies worked together during tough times.
"It is very helpful to have some clarity that we can work with, all leagues and clubs know that we have end date that we have to finish by," Murphy said.
"This has been one of the biggest issues for everyone, not knowing exactly what is going to happen.
"It's great to see AFL Vic and Cricket Vic working together to try and get football and netball and cricket back in the communities, hopefully not overlapping to much."
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