Mallee league cancels 2020 season due to coronavirus, border issue as two others remain in doubt
An SA football league with a Victorian club has cancelled its season due to coronavirus and the state border closure. And two other leagues with Victorian teams are in doubt for 2020.
Country
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An SA country football league has pulled the pin on the 2020 season after struggling to cope with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, including the closure of the state border.
The Mallee association’s six clubs met via Zoom on Friday night and unanimously voted to cancel a campaign for the first time in the competition’s 26-year history.
Teams’ major concerns included the delay in allowing crowds at games, difficult managing COVID-19 protocols, such as social distancing, and players, volunteers and supporters’ health.
The state’s border restrictions were also a big sticking point because Victorian club Murrayville and teams that played the Bulldogs would need to quarantine for 14 days after entering or returning to SA.
Mallee president David Arbon was shattered on Friday night, telling The Advertiser he wanted to wait until a June 9 meeting with other leagues and the SANFL before making a decision.
“There wasn’t too much opposition in the end – they all thought it was too hard,” Arbon said.
“They just decided to pull the pin and get it out the way.
“They just didn’t think there was any chance of us getting up anyway with the Murrayville situation and border restrictions being relaxed, as well as all the protocols to adhere to.
“They think it’s too late in the season to worry about it … and we’ll be refreshed, ready to fire up next year.
“I thought they could’ve at least waited until we had a bit more news but it was their choice and I couldn’t do much about it.”
Mallee is the second SA football league to abandon its season due to the coronavirus.
Great Flinders made the decision last month.
Arbon expected a few more leagues to follow because of the increased strain on volunteers.
“It’s hard enough to get people to do things around the club on a normal Saturday, now everyone’s under more pressure,” he said.
Arbon planned to organise a junior carnival later in the year to ensure the league’s youngsters would get a chance to play.
Mallee is one of three SA associations with Victorian clubs, along with Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara (Kaniva Leeor) and Western Border (Casterton-Sandford).
But the border issue makes their situations even more complex and they need restrictions lifted in the next two months to play.
On Tuesday, Premier Steven Marshall said SA’s strong border measures would not be easing “anytime soon”.
Western Border president Michael Summers said his six-team league would have a year off if the state boundary did not re-open in time for an August 1 restart.
“Playing without Casterton’s not an option,” Summers told The Advertiser.
“They might lose all their players to other (Victorian) leagues and it wouldn’t be fair on
Casterton – that’s their township, their livelihood and they need the footy.”
Located 42km from the SA border, the town of Casterton has a population of about 1700.
The Cats travel just under an hour to away games against the four Mount Gambier sides and almost 90 minutes to play in Millicent.
Casterton-Sandford has another issue – its coach, Tom Renzi, lives in SA, in Mount Gambier.
Despite restricting lifting to allow clubs to train, Renzi has been unable to run sessions and had to stay in touch with players via calls or messages.
“You’ve just got to roll with the punches,” Renzi said.
Kaniva Leeor is in the same boat because its coach, ex-South Adelaide captain Nick Murphy, and about 10 players live in Adelaide.
Cougars president Jason Gordon said the club wanted to stay in the KNTFL, where it had played since the association formed from two mergers in 1993.
“We could go and play in Victoria anytime we like but we love playing in the KNTFL and we’ve got generations of history in there,” Gordon said.
Gordon was concerned about losing players to rival competitions if the KNTFL shut down its season before others or until there was more knowledge on when restrictions might be lifted.
“There’s already amateur clubs in Adelaide knocking on the doors of our players and other clubs in regions contacting them,” he said.
“Given the excitement football brings to a small town like Kaniva, I’m not keen to throw it all away until we know all the ramifications and permeations associated.”
KNTFL president Peter McLellan said the latest his 11-team competition could start was July 4 but he was not prepared to do so without Kaniva Leeor.
The border situation is also affecting at least one league that features only SA clubs but has players and coaches in Victoria.
Kalangadoo, which plays in the Mid South Eastern competition, is yet to train together because its coach, Dylan Ayton, is from Casterton and five recruits also live over the border.
“It’s a bit hard to train without your coach being there,” Kalangadoo president Adam Box said.
“When we signed a Victorian coach last year, we didn’t think we’d have to worry about coronavirus.”
Mid South Eastern president Peter Mitchell said his competition’s “hands were tied”.
SANFL head of community football Tom Hurley said he was in constant discussions with the affected leagues and would continue “in trying to find a solution”.
Country league and SANFL officials will discuss issues including crowds, the border and coronavirus protocols at the June 9 meeting.