Lockdown gets jump on Roos

A HISTORIC decision to officially amalgamate Little River and Anakie junior football teams has ended in heartache, with coronavirus lockdown division forcing the side to withdraw from the AFL Barwon season.

Anakie-Little River Roos under-15 player Heath Keating said he was “upset and shattered” to learn he could not play football because he lived in the locked down City of Wyndham side of the divided town.

“I like sport, I like playing footy and we’d put in all the hard effort,” the 14-year-old said.

Mackenzie Trotter, 13, said it was “disappointing” new restrictions had forced the club to withdraw from the competition.

He said about half of his teammates lived in the City of Wyndham, while others lived in the less restricted City of Greater Geelong.

Anakie club president Heath Menhennet said the clubs has teamed up last year but had cemented the partnership this year with new jumpers and a five-year deal.

“We were all excited (to play) but we heard last night that some kids were a stone's throw or a drop kick within the restricted area,” Mr Menhennet said.

“We discussed the regulations with AFL Barwon and we decided it wasn’t fair on all the players to go ahead (without Wyndham residents).”

Mr Menhennet said the shortened nine-week season would mean stage three restrictions would not be lifted until the end of Round 5 — making it impractical for the team to participate.

Coach Jerry Ptacek said there was never any doubt the club would withdraw if all its players could not participate.

“They’d been going pretty hard and it and it was difficult to tell the group they could not play because some lived on side of the river and some were on a different side,” Mr Ptacek said.

“We committed to this partnership and we are in this together.”

Mr Menhennet said the club’s under 10s, 11s, 13s and 15s would be back and ready to play next year.