D Day Approaching for 2020 Season
D day for the future of the 2020 season is fast approaching
The VAFA Board will meet on June 23 with a decision to be announced later that week, according to a statement to clubs from chief executive Brett Connell.
Our juniors resumed training last month at Toorak Park and Como Park while the senior men’s and women’s teams returned to training in groups of 20 from Monday June 1.
Season 2020 timetable
Competitive training will be permitted from July 13 with a possible season start on July 25.
Our juniors will be playing from July 12.
Although Cricket Victoria has agreed to delay the start of many competitions to mid October several VAFA clubs, including Prahran Assumption, share grounds with premier cricket clubs who will begin matches on October 10.
Return To Training Process
There are a series of protocols implemented by AFL Victoria that must be followed.
All clubs must appoint a COVID officer who is required to submit a return to training plan. The senior club’s COVID officer is our general manager Neil Wallmeyer who has informed Stonnington Council of the plan.
Listed below are the protocols.
1. Clubs/teams are to strictly adhere to the maximum of 10 participants per group (not including a coach or the minimum number of support staff who are reasonably required to manage the activity), as per the current Victorian Government restrictions.
2. Groups of 10 must not mix with each other and must remain distant, with participants not allowed to swap between groups.
3. Strictly no physical contact between players can occur (i.e. no tackling, no bumping, no marking contests).
4. Social distancing of 1.5m must be maintained at all times.
5. No access to club rooms, changerooms or wet areas can occur, other than toilets. Access will be permitted for the purpose of one person obtaining equipment, immediately following which the rooms must be locked.
6. Footballs can be used for small outdoor group training, however only limited additional equipment is permitted to be used during training (i.e. field marking cones are permitted).
7. Each club must nominate one COVID Safety Officer and as a minimum this person must undertake the free Australian Government online COVID-19 Infection Control Training prior to recommencement of Club activity.
8. A log, or register, using the approved AFL Victoria or League template, of all participants in attendance at each training session MUST be maintained and available upon request by either the League, AFL Victoria or health authorities.
9. Return to small outdoor group training should not include NAB AFL Auskick at this stage.
10. The Return to Small Outdoor Group Training hygiene protocols outlined in this document are to be strictly adhered to at all times, with no exceptions.
Crowds, canteen and bar and functions
This remains an unknown. Present restrictions would rule out these options but with the easing of many regulations in recent times and more in the weeks to come that may change.
We await in hope, for games without spectators will deny a vital part of community football while no access to canteen and bar post game would be financially challenging.
Thanks to our financial members and sponsors
To those members and sponsors who have paid up for 2020 we are more grateful than ever for your support. We will greatly appreciate anyone else who is in a position to sponsor us and urge everyone to support our sponsors who are still trading and others when life gets back to some degree of normality – our sponsors are listed at the base of this email.
Vale Tony Borrack
Sad to report the passing of 1969 Commonwealth Bank VAFA Section C premiership captain Tony Borrack, aged 80, last Sunday.
Tony was among the speakers at the Basil Cleary Tribute luncheon at Toorak Park last year and spoke so fondly of his memories of Basil back in the Comm Bank days.
A four times club best and fairest and twice VAFA representative, Tony played a record 319 games, was coach from 1972-74 and president in 1975.
In the meantime ..Go the Two Blues