THE Sunraysia Football Netball League may need to get creative to complete its 2021 season.
By any measure, the SFNL season had been a runaway success until it was stopped dead in its tracks by another state lockdown, and the added complexity of Mildura’s first COVID-19 case in more than 15 months.
Crowd numbers were up, clubs were back making money again after the devastation of the 2020 season being cancelled, and the competition was as even as it has been in recent memory.
Fans, players, volunteers and officials were loving every bit of it.
So, in the face of this latest setback, we can’t give up on the season now.
While the latest lockdown has already been extended until Tuesday, we’ve learnt not to trust government timeframes around lockdowns.
And even if lockdown is lifted, there is no guarantee community sport will be allowed to resume, let alone crowds being able to attend. As we have already seen, one can’t exist without the other.
All of it will present challenges to community leagues and clubs, so the Victorian Government must work with them and not against them to ensure they can get back on the park or courts before it is too late.
The past week should demonstrate to the government that regional centres like Mildura do take the virus seriously, and can respond when necessary.
Thousands turned out to testing sites and have been adhering to isolation rules since the new case was revealed on Sunday.
But once the outbreak is under control, the government must allow us to get on with our lives again in a meaningful way. Opening businesses back to close to capacity is crucial, but so is the full return of community sport.
Some dismiss the importance of sport, saying things like “this is a pandemic, who cares about a stupid game of football?”
But they are wrong.
I’ve attended a number of SFNL games this season and the sense of community and normality it brings is so, so healthy. We need that, particularly now.
SFNL president Paul Matheson, who is also a police officer, understands the importance of sport from a mental health perspective.
This week, Matheson told Sunraysia Daily he remained determined to find a way to keep the season going.
The problem for the SFNL now is they are running out of time.
So, if they are delayed for a further month, what can they do?
The fixture will be inevitably compromised, but SFNL clubs are going to have to live with some inequity this year.
One option the SFNL may consider is holding a wildcard weekend for teams outside the top four. They could open up a top-six set-up or even a top-eight to ensure those clubs that may have had compromised draws can still make a run at the flag.
One of the big things we have learnt over the past 18 months is that, as a society, we can quickly adapt to changing situations.
The SFNL, and its clubs, have demonstrated a ‘can-do’ attitude throughout this whole pandemic.
This is just the next big hurdle they need to overcome. Game on.
Show compassion, not scorn
OUR thoughts go out to the Mildura family caught up in the latest COVID outbreak.
The 36-year-old man who caught the virus in the outer at the MCG was doing nothing wrong by having a night at the footy with his young son and just got desperately unlucky.
But since he was identified as being at a Tier 2 exposure site, he has followed every rule in the book, and for that Mildura owes him a great deal of gratitude.
There are many of us who know this man and a nicer guy you wouldn’t meet, so it comes as no surprise that he put his own family and community first this week.
As soon as he had symptoms, he presented for further testing, just as he was instructed, and then co-operated comprehensively and honestly with authorities to identify potential exposure sites. He could not have done more.
So to the ignorant trolls on social media who fired off misinformation about this person during the week, shame on you for your lack of compassion and understanding for a local family living through great anxiety.
Fortunately, those trolls don’t speak for the majority of this community, who are right behind this family.
From us, the message to this man is simple: “We are thinking of you and your family, and get well soon, mate.”
