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The AFL Masters 2020 Perth carnival has been postponed until 2021 due to the impact of COVID-19.
The carnival was set to welcome up to 60 masters teams from right around the country to Perth in October, the first time the state has hosted the event since 2003.
Instead it will be rescheduled for next year, AFL Masters WA Chairman Nathan Dixon hoping the carnival will be even bigger and better than initially scheduled.
“We’re grateful that we still have the carnival for 2021,” Dixon told Sports Drive on Tuesday.
“It gives us another 12 months to put some additional plans in, now it will be much more anticipated we’re expecting larger teams than what we had and were informed of in February.”
“Now we are looking for additional venues and resources to make the carnival even bigger.”
Dixon said that the risks associated with travel and coronavirus made the event too difficult to maintain for this year.
“Along with the other states we just took a reality check,” he said.
“We were expecting 50-60 teams in February to come in to Perth, when we asked the question a couple of weeks ago most of the states turned around and said we’re going to struggle to get full teams and half the numbers we were anticipating,”
“With that we worked with the national AFL Masters board and those other states and it was inevitable that our conclusion was to reschedule it for the same time next year.”
Dates for next year’s event are set to be confirmed in the coming weeks, with the Optus Stadium surrounding precinct still the preferred venue.
Dixon said he still holds out hope for a local Masters competition in 2020.
“We’re taking advice from the Western Australian Football Commission and the various governments, hopefully within the next few weeks after the federal government have made their decision community football will be given the green light, even if it is just to get out there and train,” he said.
“We’re keen to get some form of footy, whether we extend in to October which is rumoured at the moment. There may be some football in to late September or early October, we’ll take it.”
AFL Masters provides the opportunity for male and female players 32 years and over to enjoy the game of Aussie Rules Football in a safe, supportive, family orientated and fun environment.
You can hear the AFL Masters Show on 91.3 Sport FM on Saturday mornings at 8AM for all the latest updates on the competition.
IMAGE: AFL Masters website.