SWFL confident of negotiating pandemic pain

The SWFL is confident of a positive financial performance this season despite COVID-19 pressures, according to league treasurer David Wedderburn.

“All in all, it comes down to probably around a break even,” Wedderburn said during last Thursday night’s league council meeting.

“Which is very much what I would have anticipated in the first year of Dunsborough’s participation. I have run some preliminary figures with COVID-19 and WWIII not withstanding.

“In the following year, we should return to a substantial surplus. So I think one year of break-even is pretty much what we had anticipated and I think all in all, we can live with that.”

Wedderburn outlined to club delegates the process behind formulating this season’s financial budget.

“It did take a lot of time this year — it was around a 10-hour exercise,” he said. “Because last year was not a good template and obviously this is a very different fixture.

“We have fixtured 400 games of football, as opposed to 326 last year. This will be a 22.7 per cent increase, assuming all of the games are played.”