AFL South East (AFLSE) has today announced the decision to cancel the South Eastern Women’s Football (SEWF) competition for the 2020 season.

 A meeting was held with club representatives on Monday, June 29 where the majority of clubs stated they would not be fielding teams this year due to the current Covid-19 situation.

Interest from some clubs had also waned since Monday night’s meeting due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak, and the most recent tightening of crowd restrictions (see extract below from AFL Victoria Return to Play Protocols – July 1).

Only spectators necessary to support participation should attend training and competitions and must abide by current group gathering restrictions.

Only a small minority of clubs remained engaged in participating, with the varying levels of skill and experience making it virtually impossible to compile a fair, competitive, and equitable fixture in 2020.

Other major factors in making this decision include the additional impost on volunteers – adhering to strict AFL Victoria and State Government protocols – social distancing in clubrooms and at grounds, with the health and wellbeing of the players and the general community being the biggest concern.

Both AFLSE and the clubs have a clear obligation to protect participants, volunteers, officials, umpires, supporters, and their families during this Coronavirus pandemic.

I would like to thank all of our clubs for your support and understanding over the last few months during these difficult times and hope that everyone continues to stay safe and I look forward to working with clubs going forward into the 2021 season.

Rod Hamilton

SEWF Operations Manager