While the region's premier competitions have settled on condensed seasons to potentially start in July, the Newcastle, Macquarie and Hunter Valley zones have been working on new-look draws for their lower-division and junior leagues if government restrictions allow for the resumption of football.

Henry said the zones had notified clubs that a starting date of July 4 and 5 was "a mark in the sand to work from" for a 14-week season without finals. He said after negotiations with local cricket associations to gain an extra weekend, the zones were working towards finishing all competitions by October 10-11.

However, the likely burden on club volunteers to monitor COVID-19 restrictions at games, together with the financial struggles of sponsors and potential loss of canteen profits and fund-raisers, have already led to clubs - junior and senior - signalling their intention not to play this season.

"Across the region, not just Newcastle, there's been about four or fives clubs who have said it's going to be too hard, we're not going to make it," Henry said.

"Out of the situation, we totally respect the call of the committees and the volunteers because they have done the due diligence of checking on what they can and can't achieve.

"When you are putting yourself as a volunteer in a risk situation, some might not think it's a high risk but it is a risk, you have to stand beside them and say we understand where you are coming from.

"Some are small committees that work very hard and others are bigger committees who still work hard but don't believe they can achieve it, so the best decision is to put it off and come back next year."

Henry believed canteens may not be able to operate under COVID-19 restrictions and the number of clubs withdrawing will grow.

"Newcastle Football and the other zones will stand beside them if they decide it's too risky or it's not a financial viability this year," he said. "Some will struggle without canteens and things like Bunnings barbecues to raise money."

The bigger community clubs and those with large, open-access playing fields face the difficult task of policing likely guidelines such as single entry and exit points to grounds, the limit of one guardian per child at junior matches and restrictions on overall gatherings.

"They are working at it but they are also honest," Henry said of clubs.

"It's a tough job, a big job without the volunteers stepping forward in numbers to take up the slack. It's going to be a big ask if they get it up and going.

"You can take any of our grounds and it's not a situation where you can have one gate in and one out. At some, you can have a dozen ways of getting into the field. How you patrol that and keep it safe is a big ask for the volunteers and that's where Newcastle Football's focus has been, around the volunteers.

"We believe they should do their best and see how we come off."

He said playing later in the year also increased the potential of games lost to extreme heat.