First XI match declared draw after Rams hit hard by virus
GEELONG West’s place in the GCA2 top four will be up for grabs this weekend after the Rams’ first XI match against St Peter’s was declared a draw.
Geelong West has been hit hard by Covid, with a number of first-choice players unavailable because of the virus.
The GCA announced on Friday the points would be shared between the Rams and Saints, but there is the chance the game could be staged later in the season.
Geelong West is fourth on percentage ahead of Marshall, which travels to Memorial Reserve to play third-placed Leopold.
It also opens the door for Bell Park (sixth) to jump into the four.
Geelong West coach Justin McPhee said it was a “massive” call to abandon the match.
“We wanted to play but, at the end of the day, when you’ve got four and five guys out of your ones ... it makes it really difficult,” McPhee said.
“We tried our best to play this weekend but, in the end, numbers-wise . . . we’ve probably still got 15 out (across the club) and I know personally, I’m just about to come out of quarantine.”
McPhee said the club had considered withdrawing a lower-grade team but was “pretty confident” it would field its first XI next weekend.
“In the last day or two, we’ve had another couple of cases,” he said.
“It just made it all too hard.
“I think in the ones, twos and threes, with probably nine to 10 out, that made it really difficult to try to field a team.”
We tried our best to play this weekend but, in the end, numbers-wise … we’ve probably still got 15 out (across the club) and I know personally, I’m just about to come out of quarantine.”
Geelong West coach Justin McPhee, pictured