Tigers keeping their strength amid testing times

THE Toowoomba Tigers are focusing on keeping mentally strong as the coronavirus crisis grips the world.

AT THE FOREFRONT: Matt Johnson is trying to help his Toowoomba Tigers players get through the challenging times ahead. Picture: File

AUSSIE RULES: Uncertainty is commonplace among the local sporting world at the moment.

As the coronavirus situation continues on, the question is shifting from if, not when, community sport will resume.

The Toowoomba Tigers men’s team is a part of that wait for the resumption of the AFL Darling Downs season.

With restrictions preventing things such as gym sessions and now limiting outdoor activity to just two people, coach Matt Johnson said the club has been very restricted in how it can operate.

“Over the last two weeks we haven’t been doing much at all,” Johnson said.

“With the lockdown we can only meet up with two people. We had an occasional kick around before but it's hard to do much now.

“It’s a bit hard from a coaching point of view to see what will happen. I highly doubt the season will go ahead.

“There are other issues going on, and sport is a bit of a luxury. The problems at AFL and NRL level makes community level games a lot worse off.

“We’re trying to figure out situations at the moment which can be difficult right now. At the moment it’s not so much from a fitness point of view, but more about the players physical and mental wellbeing, and making sure they’ve got a support network.”

Johnson said that keeping in touch with players and ensuring they are navigating through these tough times was essential.

“We have a Facebook message group where we communicate with the guys and also their direct numbers to keep in touch,” he said.

“It was hard to get to a gym and meet as a group not long ago, and it’s becoming apparent that there is a chance in 2020 of no season at all.

“It is still important to get the guys in some capacity to be part of something. There is a certain release with sport.

“Sport has always been a release, and if there is nothing happening usually, sporting clubs are a big part of that.

“It’s not just the competition, but it gives them that time to get away and get in a good headspace.

“At the moment there’s a lot of confusion with what is going on.”

Currently the start of the season has been postponed until at least May 31 on guidance handed down from AFL Queensland.

Should teams be able to take to the field in 2020, Johnson believes that the Tigers are in a good place to compete stronger than they have in recent years.

“We had a big couple of months of recruiting,” he said.

“Where the Tigers were coming from, we were able to get a good solid group of guys to commit to each other and the club.

“There are at least 25 registered players and we had our first official hitout against Coolaroo which was able to show us where we were at.

“We were fortunate to have the bye in the first round which gave us an extra week of preparation, and all eyes were on out first game on April 18.

“The group had been really starting to come together with the implementation of a specific game plan.”

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