NEXT year looms as the most critical in the history of local football and netball in this region.
That’s not sensationalising the news, that’s what clubs and league administrators are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Not since World War II have so many football leagues been shut down, and the challenges of re-emerging from this forced hibernation cannot be underestimated.
Across the state, there are already stories of clubs teetering on the brink of extinction.
Many clubs are reporting a massive drop off in player numbers. Young men and women are now working on Saturdays, or have started their own businesses, and football has already taken a backseat in their priorities.
Older players who have now had a break from the game are deciding if the time is right to retire, others will follow their mates and just walk away.
And then there are the volunteers who are the lifeblood of clubs, but always difficult to find.
After a year off, they may have welcomed their new-found free time. It will require finding new volunteers to shoulder an increased burden with whatever COVID-19 protocols are placed on clubs and leagues.
If you talk to local football people, they fear a drop-off in player numbers of at least 20 per cent.
That may be a conservative estimate.
The Sunraysia Football Netball League (SFNL) is healthy on a number of levels, but the reserves competition was already a worry before the coronavirus hit. Many clubs battle week to week to fill teams, so a further 20 per cent drop in player numbers could tip them over the edge.
And then there are the junior competitions, where some clubs struggle to fill teams in certain age groups.
Re-engaging the kids and finding the volunteers is another enormous challenge.
While we all can’t wait to see the return of community football and netball, we also can’t stick our head in the sand about the challenges ahead.
It is why open and honest dialogue between clubs and league officials needs to start now.
We’ve been told that life post-COVID-19 is going to look very different, so what is the vision for football and netball in this region?
Is it still two competitions, the SFNL and Millewa, or is it one? And what of netball? The juniors? Women’s football?
Each club in the region should already be engaging with their respective playing groups, members and volunteers, to gauge a clear understanding of their own situations.
What level of commitment do they have?
They need to operate under the assumption that community sport will return in 2021 and start building towards it now. They also need to be willing to put self-interests aside and work together for the long-term health of the game.
Country football and netball is part of the fabric of Australian life.
It’s crucial we get this right.
