Community football clubs are against the idea of playing games without crowds, casting further doubt on local leagues kicking off this year.

While the AFL needs to push ahead with a shortened home-and-away season, country and metropolitan leagues appear likely to sit out 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Holding games behind closed doors has been deemed unrealistic by local clubs, who rely heavily on matchday gate, food and bar takings for survival.

The cost of staging games without spectators would be too much of a burden on volunteer-run clubs when money can’t be recouped through regular means.

Some league officials across Victoria said they would consider commencing their seasons if federal government restrictions on mass gatherings are relaxed back to 500 or less.

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But complications would still arise, with up to four football games and eight netball matches sometimes played at the same sporting complex.

It would leave little room for supporters to enter grounds.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed on Thursday there will be no change to current stage three restrictions for at least another four weeks.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said even when restrictions are first eased, which could happen in mid-May at the earliest, it would unlikely to involve allow large gatherings of people.

Still, various leagues remain optimistic of shortened seasons, starting in mid-to-late June.

Like the AFL at a professional level, all community football has been halted until at least May 31.

The Eastern Football Netball League surveyed its 45 clubs, with almost half voting to abandon the season now.

Ovens and Murray Football Netball League chairman David Sinclair said the border competition’s latest possible start period is early August.

“If a grand final will be beyond the 31st of October then we’ll just put the cue in the rack and start planning for 2021,” he said.

“Unfortunately you need people at games; you need a gate, bar takings and a canteen to be able to meet the costs of putting a game on.

“Umpire payments, football and netball, and all the other costs and player payments, clubs couldn’t do it without crowds.”

A hurdle for football going later than normal will be getting access to grounds, with local cricket taking over in early-October.

Cricket clubs will be able to argue they don’t need crowds and could commence their seasons with limited restrictions still in place.

AFL Victoria declined to comment, saying it will provide “commentary when the time is right”.

But the AFL did this week recommend reductions in player payments to “ensure the sustainability of our community clubs and our code into the future”.