Ballarat Football League has been left to organise its own inter-league fixture for next year.
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AFL Victoria on Thursday announced it would not be overseeing a statewide representative program in 2020.
Head of community football Stephen O'Donohue said stakeholder feedback had led to the combined metropolitan and country format for the community championships being dropped.
AFL Victoria will spend next year examining new options, including further consultation.
O'Donohue said a review seeking feedback from leagues and clubs had revealed a desire for an update and change after four years of the format.
The axing came as no surprise, with speculation rising across the state late last week that AFL Vic was planning to walk away from a senior inter-league competition.
The Ballarat Football League expressed disappointment.
BFL co-chairman Robert Allan said the league was committed to having a senior inter-league match next year even if it was required to organise its own stand alone game.
O'Donohue said the main concerns were based on the validity of the ranking system, inconsistent levels of competition, travel, increasing costs and the pressure costs placed on leagues, fixturing, administrative demands on leagues, impact on league fixtures and player availability.
The BFL had a major issue with player availability - being unable field a side anywhere what would be deemed as full strength.
He said AFL Victoria would encourage leagues to continue a representative program next year if it was deemed relevant.
O'Donohue said AFL Victoria would continue to financially support leagues which pursued representative programs.
The BFL, which suffered a heavy loss to Hampden in Ballarat this year, has already revamped its approach to inter-league football in response that performance, including having a board director specifically responsible for the program.
The Central Highlands Football League announced last month it was withdrawing from inter-league football.
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