Footy training to start with limits
• Pre-season training at Scottsdale in pre-COVID 19 times
By Peter Fish
May 20, 2020
AFL TAS has announced that clubs can commence training on Monday May 25 but under a myriad of COVID-19 restrictions.
The NTFA has signed up to the required protocols and in a video conference on Monday night, outlined to member clubs the conditions whereby training can resume.
Only groups of 10 players can take part, as per the current State Government restrictions, and on any one oval there can be only three groups at one time.
No physical contact between players can occur (i.e. no tackling, no bumping, no marking contests), and social distancing of 1.5m must be maintained at all times, along with ensuring only one person per 4sqm.
Strict hygiene protocols apply.
Alcohol based hand sanitisers must be available for all teams training sessions, with players encouraged to use prior, during and following training and there will be no sharing of water bottles, food or towels.
Players and coaches should avoid spitting or clearing nasal passages at training and they must avoid high fives, handshakes, or other physical contact.
Changerooms, club rooms and wet areas are not to be utilised for training.
Players must arrive at the venue in football gear and go home to shower, not in the clubrooms.
Even footballs must be wiped with antibacterial wipes or alcohol-based sanitiser prior to and after training sessions.
Every club must keep a register of all participants in attendance at each training session and the register can be requested by either AFL Tasmania or health authorities.
No spectators are permitted at training sessions, and parents/guardians of junior players are encouraged to limit drop-off/pick-up to only one parent/guardian.
All clubs will have to appoint a COVID-SAFE officer who is responsible for ensuring all appropriate protocols are adopted and implemented and all players and club officials have been urged to download the COVID app.
Specific COVID-19 infection control training for all club officials will be made available by AFL Tas.
All the above conditions will also apply to NTJFA training sessions.
Auskick sessions are not permitted to take place yet.
Scottsdale club president Cameron Moore said that allowing training to commence was a positive outcome, but the stringent conditions attached would be extremely taxing not only on players and coaches but also on club volunteers.
“And the question on everyone’s mind remains – when can the season start?” he said.
The State Government is responsible for determining when competition can resume, and mid-July has been raised as a possible starting point for matches to commence.
If this was to occur then the NTFA would need to put together an eight game roster followed by a finals series ending in October.
However if the crowd restrictions remained at 100 (including players and officials) some clubs would understandably be sceptical about participating.
If the coronavirus has been eradicated by mid-July then maybe the current restrictions on mass gatherings will be lifted, and football can get back to some form of normality.
Cameron Moore said that he would be asking the NTFA to make a firm decision on the 2020 season by June 15.
“All clubs expressed their views bluntly at Monday’s meeting, and I’m sure the NTFA will take their concerns on board before making any decision on the roster’s future.”
In the meantime he will be meeting with the Scottsdale board of directors and coaches next week.