Yass Roos AFL coach Adam Curtois is keen to get his players back onto the field as soon as they are allowed. “We had a very good preseason training and as a team I thought we looked just great for a successful 2020” Curtois mused when we spoke to him on the weekend. “Then it all crashed to the ground in March” he added.
However the Roos will start with much the same squad coming back from 2019, plus some new signings in the off-season. “We picked up a couple of extra players and are looking at a ten week season for what is left of this winter”, Adam commented.
There are 11 teams in the local competition which is most likely to see only a two week finals series. “This will result in a winner-takes-all end to 2020” Curtois noted. The Roos have had a couple of light runs for training since Covid-19 restrictions were
eased, but they have to play into this winter without the benefit of a trial match.
The local AFL season will hopefully get under way after the 18/19 July start date, providing infection rates don’t exceed current statistics. “We will be saddled with those social distancing rules issued by health authorities” Curtois said, “However we are all very much looking forward to at least getting some play on the ground in 2020.”
It has been tough on all sporting codes this year, some clubs have handled it better than others. The issue of player insurance has been a complication everywhere, paying full registration fees for only half a season has irked some and created doubts in many minds. The question of serving food from canteens on game day has put many clubs in two minds about whether to play on or not.