IT’S hard to believe that in a normal year the SFNL would be starting the first week of its finals series today.
Instead, we are sitting here pondering whether we might even get a start in 2021 given the current situation.
I crossed paths the other day with a local footy identity, who I’d seen a few months earlier.
During our previous meeting, he was full of optimism, confident of even playing games this year, but not now.
The doom and gloom has certainly set in for him, uncertain whether next season is even an option.
I can empathise with him on this and understand his scepticism given the uncertainty we continue to live our lives under because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Who would have thought, when the Victorian Government first announced COVID-19 restrictions back in March, we would still be in lockdown.
I was like most people, give it a couple of months and health officials would have the virus under control.
And for a fleeting moment back in June and July we thought that would be the case. Things were so optimistic the SFNL board even voted to start the season in early August, before changing its mind after the majority of clubs withdrew from the competition.
The board then turned its attention to getting the junior grades back playing and again things were going well until cases in Melbourne started to increase at an alarming rate.
Again, the tough decision was made to abandon the junior season and start planning for 2021.
It’s now almost the end of August and in regional Victoria we have another few weeks of stage 3 restrictions while metropolitan suburbs are under stage 4 restrictions and have a curfew in place preventing residents from leaving their homes between 8pm and 5am.
I’m like everyone else in the state, hoping by September 13 the situation has improved and restrictions relaxed, hopefully in time for cricket season to start in early October.
But I’m not holding my breath and, unfortunately for local cricketers, even if the State Government allows for community sport to restart, the season will be contingent on New South Wales lifting border restrictions.
If they don’t, then the Sunraysia Cricket Association (SCA) will be forced to delay the season start further or push ahead without the two NSW clubs, Workers Gol Gol and Coomealla Wentworth, which is not really an option, leaving only one real choice, push back the first round.
It really is a tough position to be in for the SCA board and its executive team, but these types of situations are what community sporting bodies across the region have been dealing with for months.
But in such difficult times, it is encouraging to see such strong leadership at the community level in Sunraysia.
Every sporting body – and its committed team of volunteers – should be commended for the decisions they have made around the safety of their members during this difficult time.
While no matches have been played in the SFNL, they have been working as hard as ever behind the scenes, putting plans in place for 2021 and the effects COVID-19 might have on the long-term future of the competition.
They have also considered the consequences any further delays might have on players, clubs and supporters.
Football and netball is such a big part of this region with more than 3600 people participating in Auskick and sanctioned football and netball competitions last year.
Let’s hope all that planning can be put into practice next year, not just for football and netball competitions, but all codes across Sunraysia.
