Local football teams prepare to start training

LOCAL football teams are preparing to begin training after AFL Victoria’s recent announcement that training can resume next week.

AFL Victoria will announce further protocols this week, but they have already stated sessions from Monday, May 25 must be restricted to groups of 10, and that no more than two groups can practice on an oval at the one time.

Queenscliff Football Netball Club president Rowan Martin said the club was already implementing further measures to ensure the safety of players and others involved with the club.

“We are working feverishly to make sure we have all the right protocols in place so it’s a safe place for people to train.

“We’re using the existing protocols from government bodies and agencies to guide us in how to implement those in a practical and common sense way that keeps people safe, and makes people confident that it’s safe to train with our footy club and netball club.

“For example, we’re ensuring that everybody turns up with their own water bottle and has their own towel; we’re restricting the players’ interaction, they will be in groups of 10 and 10 only, and after that they can’t interact with other members of the club; we’re encouraging as a club the downloading of the COVID-19 app, though obviously it’s voluntary.”

Anglesea Football & Netball Club president Jamie Mackenzie said many players would be looking forward to resuming training.

“I think for a lot of the kids it will be good to get back on. I know our senior are looking forward to getting back.

“The coaches have started to work out how it may look from a training perspective. Once we’ve got some more facts we can make better decisions.”

Torquay Tigers seniors coach Dom Gleeson said though he felt the players’ fitness levels were good, it was difficult to say how much training they would need before they were match-ready.

“Knowing the senior group at Torquay Footy Club I know the work’s been put in. We have been having a competition within teams, but it’s nothing like the intensity you would be doing at training or in practice matches, with body hits and things.”

Anglesea seniors coach Paul Nigro emphasised that having time to get match fit was central to players’ wellbeing.

“You’d want three weeks minimum, I would have thought, to get them conditioned. You don’t want everyone going out there and getting injured unnecessarily.

“Our concern the whole way through has been the welfare of our playing group and staff, and whether footy does get the green light or not I think it’s a great way for us all to reconnect and make sure we’re all well and in a safe place.”