The Ovens and Murray league will attempt to resurrect an official pre-season competition for the first time in two decades next year.
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Chairman David Sinclair said the league was in the process of putting together a proposal for clubs to consider in preference to organising their own pre-season matches.
Sinclair is hoping clubs would see the benefit of a pre-season competition run by the league.
The proposal could help generate early interest in the competition and give the football starved public an early opportunity to watch an O&M match for the first time in 18 months.
"It's definitely something that we are keen to explore given that by the time we get to March it will be 18-months since last year's grand final," Sinclair said.
"We think it's a unique opportunity to re-engage with supporters throughout the league.
"It will also give the clubs an opportunity to adjust to the protocols necessary in the COVID-19 environment.
"You can almost guarantee there will still be restrictions and protocols in regards to football next year."
Sinclair said the league was still finalising what type of format the pre-season competition would be best suited by.
"We will put a proposal to the clubs on how we would like to see it unfold," he said.
"Then it will be up to the individual clubs whether or not they want to commit to it.
To make it practical that you would need a minimum of eight clubs involved.
- OM chairman David Sinclair
"We are aware a lot of clubs already have pre-existing arrangements for practice matches each year.
"But we are hoping clubs would prefer to be part of a pre-season competition run by the league.
"If the majority of the clubs don't want to be a part of it, we simply move on."
Sinclair said the last time the league ran a pre-season competition was during the mid 1990s.
"During my tenure on the board there have been different times where we have tried to resurrect the pre-season competition," he said.
"But unfortunately we haven't been able to get enough clubs to commit to make it worthwhile.
"To make it practical that you would need a minimum of eight clubs involved.
"Hopefully we get all 10 otherwise we could explore the option of whether any of the Goulburn Valley league clubs would be interested in participating.
"Inviting some of the Wagga based clubs could also be an option."
Turvey Park has previously played in a pre-season competition on the Border.
