Rats, Warriors prepare for clash
TAND raditional rivals Ararat and Stawell will provide the launching pad for a resumption of community football and netball with a huge Good Friday encounter at Ararat’s Alexandra Oval.
And a battle for the Great Divide, with the Perc Bushby Trophy up for grabs across all levels of the respective sports, provides the ideal way to kick-start a return to tradition winter sport.
Great uncertainty surrounds the structure, ability and strength of all football and netball outfits across the region leading into the 2021 season.
But there seems little doubt both Rats and Warriors camps will be tuned in for the Wimmera Football Netball League occasion.
Ararat football coach Matthew Walder said his team was deep into a 12-week training program in preparation for the start of the season.
“We’ve been working hard, incorporating a fitness specialist as well,” he said.
“This involved an eight-week block for preparation and a four-week block that incorporates practice games leading into the season.
“The last kick anyone had in an actual match of footy in the region was in the finals of 2019 and our players are keen to get back into some footy.”
Stawell coach Tom Eckel echoed the sentiment, adding that everyone was feeling excited and it was good to ‘pull the boots on again’.
“We’ve been tracking along okay. We’ve picked up a ruckman from Portland in Toby Oakley and with everyone living in Stawell we’ve been able to train together for the majority of the pre-season,” he said.
“We’re not the biggest team, but I think we’ll be reasonably quick and we’ve been working on a couple of different game plans.
“Everything has been very positive and we’re all looking forward to Good Friday.”
Under latest AFL Victoria ‘Return to Play’ protocols all matches have a patron capacity of 5000 spectators in line with COVID-19 restrictions.
Ararat had planned to include former Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan in its line-up on Friday, following a similar concept involving Dale ‘Daisy’ Thomas that COVID-19 scuttled last year. But again uncertainly around restrictions forced the club to abandon the idea.
Walder said it would be critical for clubs to push forward with the 2021 football-netball season, especially for people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
“Football is so important for our community, but also just for everyone’s livelihoods, especially after the past 12 months,” he said. “Whether it’s going and playing or watching, it’s a chance to catch up with friends.
“It’s an outlet that country communities desperately need and hopefully we can get it all up and firing and enjoy footy together again.”
Walder said the club was also seeking more players to fill positions lost during the pandemic.
“It’s been a bit of a slow burn with the return to everything – we’re hoping a few more might get involved in the next month or so. We’d love to have a few more tearing it up on the field at the moment.”
Rivalries will be just as strong on the netball court as well as the football field.
League chief commissioner Pauline Butler said she was looking forward to Friday action.
“The season has been a long time coming. Stawell and Ararat are great rival clubs and there is going to be great action and atmosphere across netball and football,” she said.
“It’s pretty exciting. We must make the most of every week because we don’t know what’s around the corner. Hopefully Friday represents the start of an uninterrupted season.
“We wish all the teams all the best for the season and are looking forward to great spectacle on Friday.”