On track: Springvale Districts comes to grips with training protocols
No changerooms, no showers, no contact, cap on player numbers, registration by a COVID-19 officer — things will be a little different when Springvale Districts start training next week. Here’s how they plan on tackling the logistics of it all.
Southern
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With a list of 80 players, it will be no easy task for Springvale Districts senior coach Krissy Thompson to train his Demons for a season he fervently hopes will go ahead.
Clubs were permitted to resume on the track this week with groups of 10.
The number increases to groups of 20 next week, and Thompson said the Demons would pick up training on Monday.
But he imagines it will be a little like Under 9s, with players coming and going in their gear.
The changerooms will be closed, every player will need to be ticked off by the club’s COVID safety officers ahead of the non-contact sessions, and social distancing requirements of 1.5m will have to be observed.
Demons president Sean Francis is one of the safety officers.
Thompson is doing a survey of players this week as he plans training at Newcomen Rd Reserve.
They’ll be asked to indicate when they would like to train and he’ll do his best to accommodate everyone.
Thompson is sure of one thing: a player would need to have a good excuse to miss training.
“We’ve got to get exact numbers and make the most of our training. If you say you’re attending, you have to attend,’’ he said.
“If we have all 80 players wanting to train, we could go Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, or we could do 40 players from 6-7pm and another 40 from 7-8pm, but there will have to be a gap in between so the first 40 can get out the gates and the next 40 can roll in the gates.
“No changerooms, no showers. I don’t know where they’re going to put their bags. It will be likes Under 9s again when you rock up to training with your full gear on and go to the shops afterwards with your boots on!’’
Thompson said the Demons were eager to get back on the ground and line up for what would be a nine-week home-and-away season and finals if August 1 is locked in as the starting date.
“I really want to get the point across that we are ready and wanting to play,’’ he said. “We will adapt to any situation required.’’
Thompson aid the club’s welfare officer, Matt Runnalls, had been in contact with players most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
There had been job losses and others were struggling to deal with working from home.
“Guys have reached out to Matt. It’s not great they’re battling a bit but it’s great they’re turning to him,’’ Thompson said.
He called for patience as Southern and other leagues worked towards a bounce of the ball.
Thompson said he believed there was no sense in leagues calling off the season “because you don’t know what the season is yet’’.
“Just wait. Wait until we know what it’s going to look like and then make a decision.
“People are saying, ‘Oh well, we’re not allowed to have crowds, we won’t be able to have functions’. No one knows that. It can change quickly. I’m fired up about it. Calm the farm and don’t make a call until we definitely know what’s ahead of us.’’
The Districts lost last year’s Division 2 grand final to Doveton Eagles, who, rather than being promoted, have gone down to Division 3 after a player exodus and over governance issues.
Thompson said every player from the senior grand final had recommitted, and the club had recruited former Dandenong Stingray and Box Hill Hawks and Frankston-listed Agape Patolo; ex-Noble Park onballer Joseph McClelland; another former Noble player in Luke Bravis, a speedy wing and flanker; and Edithvale-Aspendale small forward Darcy Warke.
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