Sydney FC play Melbourne City in first season decider without crowds in coronavirus era

So, what does it actually feel like to play a season decider in frontof an empty, 30,000 seat stadium without family and friends watching or fans cheering.

Melbourne City celebrate after winning the 2020 W-League Grand Final match between Melbourne City and Sydney FC at AAMI Park on March 21. Picture: Getty Images

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They didn’t win but Sydney FCs W-League 2019-20 season decider is one Natalie Tobin and teammates will never forget and will go down in sporting history as the first to be played under extreme COVID-19 restrictions.

Sky Blues player Tobin has described the feeling of playing in front of an empty stadium as “really odd” after Sydney FC finished runners-up to Melbourne City after a 1-0 loss in the weekend Grand Final at AAMI Park.

Aivi Luik of Melbourne City tackles Natalie Tobin of Sydney FC during the 2020 W-League Grand Final. Picture: Getty Images

Tobin and teammates were the first elite team in Australia — and potentially the last — to play their season decider in such unorthodox circumstances in the wake of the spread of coronavirus.

Tobin, who lives at Berowra, trains with the team at Macquarie and works at Ryde, said the experience against Melbourne in Sydney FC’s third straight Grand Final appearance was “surreal”.

“It’s really odd to have such a large stadium and no one there. It seats 30,000 people and there’s about 20 people in the stands,” she said.

“Odd and a bit eerie I suppose, like with no noise or atmosphere. Just silence.

“But we had music in the warm up and stuff which they played out of a loudspeaker. And they still did the ground announcing.

“But at the end we couldn’t shake their hands. We just stood and said congratulations.”

Tobin said she was thankful she got to play the decider but any Mad Monday plans has been put on ice.

Melbourne City celebrate in front of an empty stadium after winning the 2020 W-League Grand Final match. Picture: Getty Images

“A lot of our players left straight after the game to go back to America before they fully locked down so we’re not really having a Mad Monday now,” she said.

“I think I’ll just be recovering, sitting on the couch with my feet up watching Netflix.”

On Sunday the AFL cancelled the AFLW preliminary final and grand final with the men’s season put on hold until at least May.