As was announced through media over the weekend AFL Victoria has received approval on its Return to Play requirements from the Victoria State Government providing the opportunity for community clubs to commence training in a limited form from Monday 25th May.
The McDonald's Ballarat FNL fully supports and welcomes these measures to provide clarity for clubs on how they may take the steps to resume training.
There are steps which the club need to undertake under these protocols before training can start.
These include:
- Each club must have a nominated Covid Safety Officer, (more than one can help to share the load)
- A maximum of two groups of ten players on an oval at any point in time.
- There is to be no swapping between members of these groups.
- Physical distancing should still be practiced wherever possible.
- Players need to arrive at training ready to train and then leave immediately after training. Get In, train and Get out
- Changerooms are not to be used, access to toilets only.
- Minimal equipment to be used. Footballs should be wiped down as often as possible and after each session.
- A register of participants maintained and retained by the club.
- Permission obtained from Local Government to use the oval.
To further support the health and wellbeing of our clubs moving forward, a number of other measures have been put in place that include clubs completing a register of trained players with further resources available through the AFL.
There is no length of time announced of how long these restrictions will apply to training before larger group training or full training will be permitted. It will be reliant on state government announcements and then as with this current step preparation on how it will need to be implemented determined with health departments.
Further to the details announced through AFL Victoria, Netball Victoria have also released details that are consistent with this same advice.
Similarly, there is no announcement yet on any possible date to commence seasons and this will not be expected until there is a significant easing of the restrictions which currently remain in place.
It must be stressed the welcome guidelines provided for a return to training do not provide any indication or details around if and how the 2020 McDonald's Premiership Season may commence or look. That will continue to be reviewed based upon the ongoing discussions being held.
The Ballarat FNL will continue to work with our clubs at both senior and junior level through this period to provide the advice and guidance that is required.
