HERE we go again.
Although for completely different reasons, that sense of deja vu feels like it’s creeping back in again.
After what’s happened over the last few years in terms of cancellations and rescheduling of sporting events, I think we were all happy just to return to some form of normality.
For so many sports to again be affected by factors well outside of their own control is frustrating to witness, and I absolutely feel for those people in these positions.
Clearly there are more pressing issues when it comes to these flood waters and recent heavy rainfalls. Homes, businesses and livelihoods are being effected and they will always sit above sport.
But for so many people weekend (or weekday in some instances) sport is an escape, and at times that escape has been pushed further away.
I know the burnout I felt last year with stories of things coming back, only to be cancelled again. Sport was on one day, off the next.
Clearly we didn’t have the worst of it as sports reporters over the last couple of years, but it was still a hard slog to constantly be writing about events being rescheduled or cancelled, and getting yourself up for weekends only other factors to intervene.
As I’m sure it would have affected most competitors, it was draining and hard to keep the wheels ticking over.
Now reaching this back end of the season it felt like it was all behind us, and for the first time in a long time it’s excessive rain and flood waters that are the issue.
We’ve already seen the devastating effect it’s had at Coomealla and Riverside golf clubs, who are now going to be out of action for some time, and the same goes for the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club.
Similar goes with Olympic Park Speedway and although the track should escape damage, the surrounds of the facilities are another issue.
People who know me realise motorsport isn’t my forte, but I have tremendous respect for those involved and have managed to build some good relationships with people involved over the years.
To see the issues that have been plaguing the likes of Sunraysia Drag Racing Association, Mildura Speedway Drivers Club, Mildura Motorcycle Club and North West Victorian Motorcycle Club, among many others has been tough to watch, especially for a city as obsessed with engines as we are.
On top of that, ski racing and other water based events have struggled to get up and going, and now with flood waters coming up it looks like a tougher road ahead.
Rain on or just before weekends has interrupted both the Sunraysia and Red Cliffs cricket associations start to the season.
RCCA especially has had it rough with only 11 of 38 scheduled games being completed across both grades.
SCA First Division have been relatively lucky compared to other grades so far, although juniors and Premier Women’s have certainly had more interruptions.
Even those in different sports who might normally travel to compete at times have been grounded at times due to the conditions of the roads with heavy rainfall.
Honestly it’s no wonder some people haven’t returned to sport the way we hoped.
I have everything crossed that over the coming months the good people of this region can have their sport back to some sort of normality. It’s the least they deserve.SHINING SON
WILL Ashcroft is absolutely the consensus No.1 player in this year’s AFL draft pool, but will he actually be taken at pick one at the national draft on Monday night?
The son of Brisbane premiership player Marcus is bound for the Lions after they committed to him as a father-son draft selection, but it’s a matter of what selection he goes.
GWS Giants, who traded up to pick one, are 99.9 per cent chance of taking key forward Aaron Cadman, but should they bid on Ashcroft and actually slide down to pick two after it’s matched by the Lions? Or just back their own man in?
It makes for interesting debate, although I’ve heard of many who aren’t too happy so many recent top selections being off the table due to being father-son prospects.
Father-son selections are a unique thing for football, in the way they operate at least. I quite like the current bidding system and how it works. With each draft pick worth a certain amount of points, and enough points are required to match a bid at a certain pick.
I mean, I don’t fully understand it and can’t really ‘Rain Man’ my way through the numbers, but I like how it operates.
It’s definitely better than it has been previously, and I know my Cats have had a good run with the likes of Gary Ablett Junior, Tom Hawkins and Matthew Scarlett all making it onto our AFL list fairly cheaply.
I get there are arguments about compromised draft pools, but this is one tradition we should continue with.
