Hampden Football Netball League cancels 2021 finals series amid COVID-19 restrictions

No premierships will be awarded for a second consecutive year, leaving back-to-back gaps on the 91-year-old competition's honourboard.

It comes after an easing of state government restrictions, likely to be in place until the end of September, limited community sport in regional Victoria to training only.

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Hampden league in a statement said the decision to cancel was difficult, particularly after the entire 2020 season was wiped out and playing games in 2021 was seen as a positive step forward.

Lockdowns forced the original 18-round season to be cut to 12 rounds.

"We acknowledge the critical role football and netball plays in many people's lives, and stress that whilst we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the HFNL final series for Saturday competitions, we note that getting back to football and netball this year has brought joy in times of great uncertainty for the community," it read.

"The HFNL are confident that the adversity we have all faced these past two seasons will hold us all in good stead for 2022 and beyond."

The five-team, four-week series had already been reduced to a four-team, two-week series with a grand final planned for Friday, September 24.

Restrictions announced on Wednesday this week meant that became a pipedream.

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Koroit (football) and Cobden (netball) finished as minor premiers in the senior grades.

Hampden still hopes to play its Sunday junior competition grand finals, if possible by October 2.

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