After another break from VFL footy, The Bendigo Bank Cats will play their first game back against Werribee this Saturday, 2.05pm at Avalon Oval.
The past weekend marked the second re-commencement of the season, with Geelong having a bye.
With only three rounds to go, here are the answers to some of the most pressing questions before finals.
How many games will teams play before finals?
Every team in the competition will play 12 games before finals.
For some squads this will mean consecutive byes to keep the numbers even across the table.
For others, like Geelong’s side, there will be a good chance to gain some momentum with two to three consecutive matches.
What’s still to be confirmed?
The dates and times of the final two rounds are still up in the air.
The VFL currently have to work reactively against the floating fixture of the AFL, leaving a lot still to be determined.
The main goal of the league is to have finals played in three weeks time, starting on the last weekend of August.
What will the finals structure look like?
The classic top eight structure is currently the format that will be used for finals.
The teams currently in the top six can just about be guaranteed to play finals, while there are two sides outside the eight that have a shot at seventh or eighth.
Will there be home finals in Geelong?
Depending on where Geelong finish on the ladder, we may receive a home final in week one of the finals series.
Generally, the home teams in week one of the finals series are awarded with a home final.
There will be no guarantees after that as finals are shared around between neutral venues.
What if there’s another lockdown/what about interstate clubs in lockdown?
Unfortunately, with all the uncertainty surrounding lockdowns there isn’t a set plan yet.
Victoria and New South Wales-based clubs are likely to be unaffected, but any Queensland-based clubs will have to wait and see.
The only Queensland club that will play finals is Southport, who currently sit in second position.
They will have to take the ‘wait-and-see’ approach along with the VFL.
