Nervous wait on 2020 season
CLUBS are set to find out early this week whether senior women’s football and under-19 football and netball will be played in 2020 after a planned start date was pushed back by changing coronavirus restrictions.
AFL Barwon had planned to begin under-19 football and netball on August 1 and women’s football a day later but all contact sport for people over the age of 18 is now banned in Victoria.
All contact training for those aged 19 and up is also on hold, after the State Government adjusted its COVID-19 restrictions.
CLUBS are set to find out early this week whether senior women’s football and under-19 football and netball will be played in 2020 after a planned start date was pushed back by changing virus restrictions.
AFL Barwon had planned to begin under-19 football and netball on August 1 and women’s football a day later but all contact sport for people over the age of 18 is now banned in Victoria.
All contact training for those aged 19 and up is also on hold, after the state government adjusted its COVID-19 restrictions.
Junior football and netball are still on track to return next weekend.
Geelong Amateur was at training on Saturday when the news broke across the region about the new restrictions.
The club’s women’s football coach Tim McGrath said players would probably need about a month of contact training to prepare for games, putting a start date for the season as late as September.
The Amateur playing group agreed to keep training for the foreseeable future, even if the season is called off.
“At our club there are quite a few girls who have lost their job or have struggled with lockdown at various stages and not been able to see their families in Melbourne, so there is quite a bit of mental health you have to get through too,” McGrath said.
“We said on Saturday to the ones that were there that it is likely AFL Barwon will cancel the season.
“We discussed on Saturday that we are keen to keep training. Not just from a footy point of view but just so there is an outlet for the girls so they can keep seeing their mates and having a run around.”
AFL Barwon said in a statement it would “assess the situation in coming days”.
“It is important to note that currently there is no change to return to contact training and play dates for those aged 18 and under who reside outside of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire,” it said.
Contact training was planned to begin today, with games allowed to be played a week later.
“However, with a significant increase in coronavirus cases in Melbourne, and active cases in a number of regional communities, the chief health officer (Professor Brett Sutton) has determined that community sport in regional Victoria must remain non-contact,” a state government statement read.
The barring of contact sport for adults will also put on hold preliminary plans for a new Geelong soccer league.
Multiple clubs had been in discussions to begin a competition for sides that have had seasons set back by tough restrictions in Melbourne.
Prof Sutton will reconsider the restrictions at the end of July.
WE SAID ON SATURDAY TO THE ONES THAT WERE THERE, THAT IT IS LIKELY AFL BARWON WILL CANCEL THE SEASON. GEELONG AMATEUR COACH TIM MCGRATH