Lockdown hits community sport again

By Jack Morgan

Football grounds and netball courts will once again be empty this weekend as the state enters another lockdown.

It will be a month of missed games for many community footballers, and it looks likely the football cancellations will extend into the following weeks because of AFL Victoria guidelines.  The guidelines recommend a minimum seven-day training period before returning to play, for clubs who have missed four consecutive rounds. 

The Ellinbank and District Football League have missed four consecutive rounds which means clubs may have to train for another week after the lockdowns end before the season resumes. At that point, clubs would be met with the last round of the season, round 20.

The EDFL will consult with clubs before deciding the fate of the closing rounds, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to plan.

“Every week we think of a new plan and it gets changed because of a new restriction,” League official Ken Moore said. 

Multiple options will be considered. One option could see the remaining rounds abandoned to go straight into finals.

If this happens, it could be a devastating end to Poowong Football Club’s season who sit at number six on the ladder and need to be top five to make EDFL finals. They are tied with Longwarry and Lang Lang in position four and five respectively. All three teams including Poowong have six wins and four losses, meaning Poowong would miss out on finals due to percentage.

The Poowong seniors will miss five weeks of football due to bye rounds and lockdowns, and coach Mick Hawken is growing increasingly frustrated. 

“As a coach you want to develop your squad, but you can’t develop your squad when you’re not playing footy,” Hawken said.

Even if round 20 does go ahead, Poowong won’t add to their percentage because they’re scheduled for another bye round.

“It’s extremely disappointing to miss out on percentage, well that’s just the cards we’ve been dealt unfortunately, and I think everyone will be disappointed with that but that’s probably the reality it will end up being,” The coach said.

Hawken said all of the senior footballers are hoping to get back on the field as soon as possible.

“The town revolves a lot around our footy club and we’re a proud bunch like most of the other small clubs and I think it hurts everybody,” Hawken said.