The four AFL Central West games canned on the weekend due to snow and icy conditions on the roads won't be replayed, but the league will look at a stronger wet-weather policy for 2020 to ensure a call on play is made earlier on gameday.
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The four games cancelled won't be replayed despite the potential for clashes to change sides' ladder positions, although the sides in the top four had been set in both the men and women's competition.
The Tigers men had a slim chance to jump into first on percentage and claim a home final if they roughly doubled the score of the Bushrangers Outlaws.
There are plans in place to increase the number of games next year so I don't think adding another round without games being played is likely.
- AFL Central West general manager Casey White
Meanwhile the Tigers women were too far adrift on percentage to leapfrog into second.
Those four games were split as nil-all draws, while Dubbo received full points for beating Parkes in Parkes.
With finals taking place over four weeks, the AFLCW had the option to replay the two games this Saturday, which is when the elimination finals between the Giants and Dubbo in the men's competition and the Tigers and Cowra for the women, is currently scheduled, and play elimination and qualifying finals on August 24.
However, AFL Central West general manager Casey White said clubs - especially those not playing finals such as Cowra and the Outlaws - indicated their players "had made other plans" for the coming weekend and playing games would leave those outfits weaker.
Some players had already made the treks to Cowra and Bathurst when games were called off on Saturday, with the call made about 10.15am, less than two hours before the first bounce of the women's games.
While White said the league "didn't make the decision lightly' to cancel games, but the forecast for later on Saturday afternoon caused worry players might be left stranded if roads closed.
However, he said the league would explore policies to ensure a call was made on games going ahead earlier rather than later - with a Friday afternoon or 9am Saturday morning brain's trust meeting floated to make a decision.
"Initially it looked like it would be okay to play, and the ground came up reasonably well, but on the flipside we had a lot of snow in Orange and Blayney and in areas players would have to travel through," White said.
However, it's unlikely the league will introduce a wet-weather back-up round, with a common complain for the 2019 season revolving around the number of byes making the season "stop-start".
"There are plans in place to increase the number of games next year so I don't think adding another round without games being played is likely," White said.