Will social distancing find a place on our sporting grounds when battles resume?
A hug among teammates during a great moment on the sportsground has been the norm for many years. But will that tradition fall by the wayside when sporting battles begin again?
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IS the hug on a sportsfield dead? That could just be just one of the dilemmas officials and athletes face once the coronavirus protocols are lifted and life sort of returns to normal.
The unusual suspension in thoroughbred racing of flamboyant Gai Waterhouse employee Neil Paine for breaching coronavirus protocols would have been a head scratcher just two months ago.
Caught up in the thrill of the stable winning the world’s richest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper, with Farnan, Paine embraced an unsuspecting trainer Adrian Bott (in training partnership with Waterhouse). Stewards stepped in, slapping a month ban on Paine from attending race meetings.
Paine said he was a naturally excitable person and was just thrilled about the stable winning a Group 1 race, and just forgot about the new regulations.
So could the hug be a thing of the past on sporting arenas?
Will a great goal or inspiring moment on the ground or court become a one-person celebration?
Adelaide Footy League chief executive John Kernahan says he can’t see the hug, high five or reassuring pat disappearing from the game he oversees.
“We love the game but we love being around our mates,” Kernahan says.
“Like most sports footy is a game that conjures an enormous amount of camaraderie that extends itself to a high five or even a group hug whether as a celebration or commiseration.
“Though I suspect when and or if the authorities find a vaccine for this scourge on our society, those moments of mateship will be more appreciated than before.
“We might even see some new forms of on-field interaction learned from social distancing.’’
Until about 30 years ago hugging, slapping on the backside, high fives and similar signs of affection were rarely seen on the sporting arena.
Vision of grand finals and big matches in the 50s and 60s of various sports had next to no emotion for a deed done well. Maybe the players back then were just too tired or kept their emotions away from the public glare.
These days animation is part of the game where soccer, footy, cricket seem to have a big love-in at the fall of a wicket or when a goal is scored. Netball, not so much, as there generally isn’t time when a goal is scored.
Maybe players will just compromise and work on perfecting their bow and arrow salute as Port Adelaide’s Xavier Duursma demonstrated after kicking a goal against Essendon last year.