Perth Football League 24 April 2021 Fixture Update
10 May, 2021
Due to the WA Government’s COVID-19 restrictions enacted at the time, matches fixutred for the 24th April 2021 could not be played.
By-law A2.7.4 provides for where matches cannot be played:
Where a match is abandoned or terminated before the scheduled end or the result of the match is in dispute, the General Manager at his absolute discretion may determine the result or order the match be replayed at such time and place as he sees fit.
Several clubs raised with the League the possibility of re-scheduliing 24th April 2021 matches.
There is an all grades bye 5th June 2021 (WA Day Long Weekend).
A Grade, A Reserve, Phil Scott Colts and all Women’s Grades, also have a fixtured grade bye 24th July 2021. The League requested club feedback on re-scheduling 24th April 2021 fixtures to the 5th June 2021 (WA Day Long Weekend) or abandoning the fixture:
* 24 clubs representing 124 teams supported abandoning the fixture.
* 26 clubs representing 111 teams supported re-scheduling to the 5th June 2021 (WA Day Long Weekend).
* 19 clubs did not respond.
Summary of key themes from club feedback
* By not replaying the matches, grade ladders will be comprimised, particularly with promotion and relegation, and home teams are unable to recoup lost bar/canteen revenues from the lost fixture.
* We are an amateur competition. Players, club officials and umpires have made holiday and other plans for the 5th June 2021 (WA Day long Weekend) based on the released fixtures. Fielding teams will be difficult, causing forfeits, potentially disadvantaging all grades.
* There is the likelihood the WA Government may again restrict community sport if/when another COVID-19 outbreack occurs during the season, and the option to re-schedule becomes problematic.
All Grades
The League is committed to play footy and provide opportunities to do this. It is also the League’s responsibility to uphold the integrity of all grades as best as possible during COVID-19.
We believe playing on the 5th June 2021 and having forfeits should be avoided. Therefore, the League has decided not to re-schedule matches fixtured for 24th April 2021 to the 5th June 2021 WA Long Weekend. Matches fixtured for 24th April 2021 will record no result.
Where this creates an uneven number of matches played in a grade, By-law A2.7.5 will be applied:
Where a grade has fixtured byes that result in an uneven number of matches played, the General Manager shall determine final positions of the premiership table by dividing the number of matches won and drawn by the number of matches played to determine the ratio of matches won. Descending order will firstly be determined by the team with the highest ratio of matches won, teams with equal ratios shall then be determined in accordance with these by-laws.
A Grade, A Reserve, Phil Scott Colts and all Women’s Grades
Notwithstanding the above;
As the 24th July 2021 is not a long weekend and is a bye only for A Grade, A Reserve, Phil Scott Colts and all Women’s Grades, we will commence discussions with those respective grades on re-scheduling 24th April 2021 fixtures to the 24th July 2021.
The state representative senior mens and womens centenary match against WA Country Football scheduled for Friday night 23rd July 2021 is planned to go ahead, which may effect players from the above grades.
