From The Age website
Reported by Roy Ward and Daniel Cherny
Full article - Click here
The Northern Blues should have been playing Essendon on their Preston City Oval home ground on Saturday, continuing a 138-year tradition.
Instead the club is being wound up after AFL affiliates Carlton were forced to pull their support for the venture as they cut costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Northern Bullants in 2004, before they became the Northern Blues.CREDIT:THE AGE
After years of struggle with debt and identity, those running the Northern Blues, formerly known as the Preston Bullants, felt the club had a bright future, including a recently agreed extension of their partnership with Carlton.
Northern Blues president Stephen Papal knew nothing could keep his club going once Carlton stepped away from a partnership started when it offered the club a lifeline in 2007.
Advertisement
"If it wasn't for Carlton we wouldn't have existed at all," Papal told The Age.
"We felt we were ready for a good season. This feels like we have run a marathon and were about to get the prize only to have it snatched from our hands."
Papal said Carlton couldn't have been more supportive and chief executive Cain Liddle and head of football Brad Lloyd were in regular contact with him to talk through club and player matters.