Local footy COVID restrictions Victoria: High-fives banned in junior football

Kids will be banned from celebratory high-fives and only one parent allowed to attend matches in sweeping changes to junior footy.

Junior footy players will be banned from high-fiving in sweeping safety measures to combat COVID-19. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Children will be told not to high five and parents urged to send only mum or dad to games as kids make a long awaited return to junior footy.

Staggered match and training times, shorter quarters and live streaming will be used in some competitions, to reduce risks and ensure as many kids as possible can play safely.

The rules say parents or caregivers must remain outside the boundary line, observe social distancing and “strongly recommend” a maximum of one guardian at training.

Staggered schedules “must be adopted where multiple teams are using the same ground’’.

Yarra Junior Football League chief executive Tim Murray said stopping kids high fiving would be tough.

Camberwell Sharks junior footy players are ready for the 2021 season despite all COVID challenges. Picture: Alex Coppel

“It would really help if the AFL guys wouldn’t because many of these kids want to become AFL players so they are going to mimic what they see on TV,’’ he said.

But children were “so excited to get back out on the ground’’ and happy to follow the rules.

“We have staggered some of the starting times, we are trying to reduce the length of some games to allow a bit more time for people to enter and exit the ground at changeover of matches,’’ he said.

“We won’t let spectators on the ground to listen to coaches at the break, we recognise the importance of that tradition but we think it’s a habit this year we need to break.’’

Myrtleford Footy Club president Ian Wales with the club treasurer Marnie Brozand. Picture: Simon Dallinger

GRASSROOTS FOOTY FACING FUNDING CRISIS

Country footy chiefs say they are being dudded by “city centric” coronavirus restrictions that will rob them of fans, much needed gate revenue and be almost impossible to enforce.

Grassroots footy faces statewide crowd caps and bans on spectators entering rooms to sing their team’s song, among tough Victorianreturn to play rules.

While AFL crowds of up to 50,000 have been approved at the MCG and up to 15,000 racing enthusiasts can attend Super Saturdayat Flemington, community footy crowds have been limited to 1000.

Spectators will be banned from setting foot on grounds during breaks in play, handshakes won’t be permitted and players have been told to shower at home and not share fruit or lollies.

Clubs have been directed to contact police if crowds refuse to safely socially distance but organisers say the rules go too far, placing unfair pressure on already overworked volunteers.

Myrtleford Football Club president Ian Wales said the red tape was causing stress in the sport’s heartland, as clubs try tomend budgets and spirits broken by last year’s wiped out season.

“I don’t know who is going to police that, I really don’t know’’ he said.

“I’m not going to walk out and tell people to get off the ground at quarter or three quarter time.

“It has probably got to the point where you are past getting angry, you just shake your head and think ‘how does this work’?’’

AFL Victoria’s “Return to training and games protocol’’ says “it is the participating clubs’ responsibility to monitor crowdsocial distancing’’.

WorkSafe said it was unlikely to police the rules because community clubs were not deemed work places.

But Mr Wales said clubs did not have the resources.

“There is a lack of volunteers so if you push this onto them, guess what? People just walk away,’’ he said.

“I’m not going to ask a volunteer and also, I wouldn’t want to be the person on the gate when it ticks over to 1001 and you have to say ‘no, sorry, you can’t come in’.’’

AFL Victoria spokesman Nick Hulett said it “continues to work closely with the Victorian Government and comply fully with the government’s restrictions and guidance, while advocating on behalf of the game.’’

“AFL Victoria is committed to doing everything we can to support leagues and clubs returning to playing football in 2021, with the health and safety of everyone involved the top priority,’’ he said.

But former AFL Gippsland commissioner John White said clubs would forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars by having strictcrowds restrictions.

“The discrimination shown between the elite, city centric AFL competition and community football does not sit well and putsmany clubs in danger of financial difficulties,’’ he said.

Mr Wales said capping country crowds at 1000 when they traditionally swelled for Easter weekend matches was out of touch.

“The thing that really irks me is we are allowed 1000 at the footy at this stage, on a 10 or 12 acre block of land,’’ he said.

“Yet Bright, a town of 3000 people, will have 30 or 40,000 people walking around their streets bumping onto each other.

“I don’t understand that … we have not had a case up here in the north east and to be restricted more than city people blows your mind.’’

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Originally published as Local footy COVID restrictions Victoria: High-fives banned in junior football