Junior netballers in the Tallangatta and District Netball Association will not see any court time this season.
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It comes following Monday's announcement by state governments that the Victorian-NSW border is to be closed as of midnight Tuesday due to the growing rates of COVID-19 in Victoria.
The league had originally been committed to providing it's junior players an opportunity to partake in a shortened home and away season, despite the senior netball competition being cancelled last month.
It was agreed at a league meeting on Monday night that the border closure would make the plans too hard to carry out, with work and essential health services sited by the government as approved reasons to cross the border.
While Thurgoona is the only club of the league's 12 to fall on the northern side, TDNA president Judy Loorham said there would be many players who would cross the border to play for their respective clubs.
She said it was disappointing to see juniors having to miss out on netball this year.
"We had our proposal and plans in place ready to go," Loorham said.
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"For us, it just became the straw that broke the camel's back.
"We have juniors who live on either side of the border and it would have affected a lot of clubs.
"It just became a cross too hard to bear."
The Ovens and Murray league are yet to make a final call on the fate of their junior netball season, after also committing to try and provide an opportunity for the league's under-16's this year.
The border closure, new active COVID-19 cases in the region and the differences in restrictions on either side will now have to be taken into consideration.
Ovens and Murray deputy chair Kim Odewahn admitted the recent developments would make the prospects of a season harder to reach.
"The reality is it will be extremely hard to get something up and running with the border closed," Odewahn said.
"We have girls that live and play on different sides of the border."
The league has four clubs on the northern side with Albury, North Albury, Lavington and Corowa-Rutherglen, while Myrtleford, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta Magpies, Wangaratta Rovers, Wodonga Bulldogs and Wodonga Raiders lie within Victoria.
The O and M will look to make a decision in the next week.
