Queensland VFL club Aspley have withdrawn from the competition amid drastic changes to the league's format for the remainder of the season.
The VFL has cancelled the final round of the home and away season following further lockdown extensions on greater Melbourne.
The new-look second-tier competition has faced an uphill battle to conclude the 2021 campaign, but finals action looks set to go ahead.
Lockdowns across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have seen five rounds now cancelled this year, with matches played for clubs currently ranging from nine games to 11.
The AFL, who run the VFL, announced on Tuesday that the final round of the season would be scrapped, implementing a new ladder order that has been adjusted through match ratio.
The changes see Collingwood move into the top eight, with Frankston falling out of finals contention as the Magpies were level on points with two less games played and now move into seventh, also leapfrogging the Giants.
Collingwood will play second-placed Southport in the opening week of finals in what has been reduced to a three-week fixture consisting of 'sudden-death' matches.
The remaining fixtures will see minor premiers Footscray face eighth-placed Greater Western Sydney, while Box Hill face Williamstown in a battle between third and sixth and Geelong clash with Casey.
Each victor of the four matches will progress to a preliminary final and will play to decide the 2021 Grand Finalists for this season.
The season decider has been scheduled for Sunday, September 19 at Marvel Stadium.
Should the VFL face further delays, teams from fifth to eighth could be scrapped from contention if the season is placed a further week behind.
That scenario would see the top four clubs immediately move into a preliminary final round and therefore would compete for a place in the Grand Final in the first week of the post-season.
After a tough year in the east-coast competition that saw them record one win from 10 matches, Aspley confirmed on Wednesday that they will draw from the league ahead of next season.
The decision will see the Hornets return to competing in Queensland, while the remaining 21 clubs are set to continue in the VFL for 2022.
Â