Catherine Wood hoping cricket starts after cancellation of Ovens and Murray netball

Wood will have to wait for her debut coaching season with Lavington after the Ovens and Murray league made the decision to cancel senior netball and football for 2020 due to growing coronavirus fears.

The Riverina academy cricket coach is hoping it may be a different story for the summer sport, with the Country Championships currently booked in for October.

"The academy season has kicked off with us contacting girls and we have all of our session dates planned," Wood said.

"It'll be interesting with a few of the changes they may have to make, but it'll be great to see it go ahead.

"I was preparing for a very crazy year, but then to have everything suddenly wiped out, it's good to have a glimmer of hope at the end of the year when it gets a bit warmer."

ALSO IN SPORT:

Wood admitted while it was disappointing to see no O and M netball this year, injury risks had crept to the front of players minds in starting the season much later than usual.

"That was one of my main concerns," Wood said.

"We just haven't had the normal strength and conditioning that you would during a normal year.

"When we asked the girls if they wanted to play it got to the stage where they were like, if it happens then yes, but they just didn't want to get injured.

"That was the main thing they were saying.

"If it was a shortened season they would have been out for that part and then they could also have been out for next year.

"We have to look at the bigger picture."

Tallangatta and District netball has also cancelled it's 2020 senior season.

However, both the TDNA and O and M leagues are looking into alternatives for their junior players to see them back on the court in the coming months.

Wood said it was pleasing to finally have a decision after months of speculation.

A spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria became a deciding factor in the competition's fate.

"It was expected really in the end," Wood said.