THE 2022 Mininera and District Football League/Netball Association fixture has been released with the season start pushed back due to Easter.

The season gets underway on April 23, three weeks later than the Hampden and South West leagues, with Mininera league president, Dale Bruns telling The Spectator the clubs agreed with the approach.

“Essentially we are governed by what the clubs suggest and the later start is part of that,” he said.

There is also just the one bye during the season with the traditional July school holidays bye scrapped following feedback from clubs.

“We played on Queen’s Birthday last year and it was put to a vote and a lot of the players sneak off for a break in June, so we have opted to take the bye then and not in the school holidays,” Bruns said.

“Either way, it will suit some and not others.”

The lack of extra weeks off means catch-up games will be difficult, should any games be forced to be postponed due to COVID.

Bruns said the finer details of what happens if games are unable to be played was still being worked through at board level.

“We have certainly given it a lot of thought, and the board’s view is that we might not be locked down as such this season, but there might be clubs affected by COVID outbreaks,” he said.

“We have got 11 clubs that constitute a season, so with a 16-round season, we have five weeks up our sleeve if we need to make changes.

“The decision hasn’t been made about whether a game can’t field a side yet, there is still another board meeting to decide those outcomes.

“Our feeling is that if we can’t play the grand final when scheduled, then we will hold off and play it at the first possible chance.

“I think the other thing we need to consider is we have a lot of volunteers who go through the season and if there isn’t a grand final, then they may think what is the point.”

The Rams will host the Eagles in round three before travelling to Penshurst to face the Bombers in round four.

Hawkesdale-Macarthur hosts Penshust in round two, meaning the three local teams will have played each other in the first month of the season.