AFL North West umpires have been praised for taking a pay cut in order to help relieve the sport's financial burden due to the pandemic.
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Sonia Martin, AFL North West president, said the umpires volunteered to take a 17-per-cent pay cut for this season.
Martin said: "We asked them if there was something they could due, given all the clubs have a reduced income this year, and that's what they've done to help."
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Martin described the gesture as "generous".
"Umpiring is a tough job," she said, "and we hold them to a very high standard.
"But they recognise the importance of supporting our clubs so there's football moving forward - and reducing that financial pressure for everyone involved."
Umpires have agreed to receive $70 per match, plus travel expenses.
Martin said umpires taking pay cuts was a "nationwide movement" - initiated by AFL umpires taking a pay cut.
"The umpires are just all being really aware [of the need to help support the game]," she said. "We're only asking them to do it this year."
Martin said AFL North West was seeking sponsorship for the umpires so umpires would not have to pay for uniforms.
AFL North West is optimistic the season will commence in mid-July, with 10 rounds and a standard three-week final series staged.
Graham Brown, AFL North West umpires coordinator, said umpires were "glad" they could be of assistance in this dire time.
He said: "We've identified that all the clubs are struggling [financially] or will be struggling.
"We can't see many clubs getting massive sponsorships because of the way coronavirus is hurting everyone."
Brown said most of the umpires affected by the move were longstanding senior umpires.
It was reported this week that the NSW Office of Sport was finalising an overarching framework that will guide the resumption of community sport throughout NSW.
