Local Football - Are the restrictions too much?

Should Aussie rules be included among the relaxation of restrictions for Phase 3?

  • Yes

    Votes: 4 33.3%
  • No

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Maybe

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Jack Watts

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Nic Naitanui

    Votes: 2 16.7%

  • Total voters
    12

CM9000

BigFooty Optimist
Aug 19, 2016
3,053
6,792
Perth, WA
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
East Fremantle
Mark McGowan seems to be underestimating the importance that sport plays in WA. According to this article from the West Australian, WAFL football won’t be seen until at least after the 15 of June, when Phase 3 will kick in. Additionally, this also means WA residents will also have to wait another month to be able to play Amateurs football again. All this, when we’ve had nearly three weeks without any community transmission (you could count the recent ones, but it’s usually defined as cases without a known source. Also, the one on 3 May was a reclassification, rather than a new one) and currently only 5 active cases in the entire state. It is impossible for me to catch coronavirus in WA, unless I literally go to the hospitals where there are active patients.

The current plan is a bit too conservative IMO. The WAFL could start up right now, and it would make more revenue and attract more viewership than any other season in recent history. Additionally, we could start up community football without any issues at the moment, with no real chance of a second outbreak. However, under the current plan, the WAFL is likely to start up in, possibly, two months, and at the same time as the AFL - thus eliminating any advantage the WAFL could gain with the AFL suspended. We’re also prolonging the absence of community football for no real reason, basically shortening the season for every Amateurs club in the state.

I don’t want anyone to die, that’s my main concern, but it’s gotten to the point now where it is near impossible to catch coronavirus in WA. Why isn’t football just as important as restaurants, pubs, or any other thing thing that is reopening in four days? Why is local football being discounted? They aren’t mutually exclusive, we can include the WAAFL in Phase 2 with everything else, all at no additional cost. No one will die if it comes back.

Sport is the bedrock of a lot of people’s lives in this state. I don’t really care about the AFL at the moment, but the fact remains that a lot of people in WA do depend on sport at the local level. General mental health among West Australians would be substantially improved if it could return sooner rather than later, and there is no real reason to keep this up other than Mark McGowan/the WA Government underestimating the importance of sport.

IMO it’s also a bit rich that Mark McGowan plays the Vic bias card while sending our own teams to another goddamn state.

Are the restrictions for local sport too much?
 
Last edited:
Sep 16, 2006
35,834
35,415
AFL Club
West Coast
I'm starting to come around to playing an interstate hub after being completely against it, but if the eastern states clear up similarly to us and SA and McGowan is still being hard halfway through the season making us play the entire season interstate it is going to suck and whatever goodwill he gained during his response will be quickly lost by the football supporting public. This is my main fear.
 

Luuuc

Premiership Player
Jun 26, 2011
3,319
7,279
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Perth Wildcats, Perth Lynx
I remain optimistic as I've seen nothing in his actions so far to suggest that he wouldn't want to open things up further if the rest of the country starts consistently blowing zeros.

As for the WAFL, I think us here in this forum obviously place a far higher importance on footy than the average citizen. IMO the WAFL is not a big enough industry that would justify it getting preferential treatment on account of its broader economic benefits to society. Purely in sporting terms I think everyone is pretty keen to get sport back up and running again. Kids' sport and non-team, non-contact sports are logically lower risk so I could see them getting higher priority, but we all want our footy back. The sheer number of participants it has will carry some weight.
 
I'd prefer to be in full lockdown for six months and then open everything up over the next six months, rather than spend 18 months playing on again/off again lockdown as we keep seeing just how much we can open up before the next wave hits.
 

DanWCE

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 2, 2015
19,578
41,737
AFL Club
West Coast
I don't really care about ammos. I can still go down to the local oval and kick trick shot goals until I'm bored and then go home again.

I think we should be grateful to be in the position were in, 2 weeks out from Winter. We'd hate to be staring down continued or increasing infections as we come into the cold months of our year.
 
Oct 29, 2007
22,131
29,933
Perth Western Australia
AFL Club
West Coast
I think the hard boarders are in so people in WA can get back to normal sooner than later. This allows us to go to the pub/restaurants a lot quicker than most states and even get back to community sport quicker too.

IF we dont have community transmission then i cant see why we can get back to community sport this year with limited crowds. Listening to the premier on 6pr then it doesn't sounds like we are opening the boarders interstate anytime soon so with that we should be getting very minimal cases over the winter.

The hard boarders have a 100% been the right idea and people need get there head around that and just think of the harder restrictions the easterns states have had in regards to day to day activies.
 

Rowan18

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 20, 2018
7,281
14,696
AFL Club
West Coast
Don’t think we’ll be seeing much or indeed any ammo/community/junior footy in 2020.

Just the vibe I’m getting.
I play hockey and our league will be starting up in early July - finishing end of Sep. We'll either play 9 rnds with 3 weeks of finals, or 12 rnds where top 2 then play off in GF. Surely amateur footy would look at something similar? There must be some vested interest that needs some revenue (maybe the league administration or the local councils for oval upkeep etc).
 

Noctorniquet

Premiership Player
Oct 1, 2012
3,245
3,035
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Los Angeles Lakers, Perth Wildcats
Anyone back at training with their clubs?
We started back this week, but is unofficial and player driven 3x groups of 20 doing mostly running and some ball work. Hearing from other guys I know a lot of clubs are back training now.
 
Had training on Thursday night and again today. Feels good. Helps you forget about everything

It's not too over the top, common sense really. Try to stay 1.5m apart when huddled, no contact, hand sanitiser, designated balls for groups etc.


I saw a video on FB from my previous club and their restrictions seem a bit more full on. Have to enter a certain way, have to sign a waiver, that sort of thing.


Hearing ammos is aiming for July 11 commencement. Play everyone once then top 4 get finals, so essentially the season is cut in half.
 
Girls started Wednesday night. No club colours and a change of venue daily
Well it seems we’re back to a regular venue Monday & Wednesday’s.

And the older girls season would be commencing same time as the WAFL - Aug 1

Training for my younger girl June 1

Exciting times.
 

jatz14

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 13, 2011
11,368
16,074
WA
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Perth Glory W-League
Had training on Thursday night and again today. Feels good. Helps you forget about everything

It's not too over the top, common sense really. Try to stay 1.5m apart when huddled, no contact, hand sanitiser, designated balls for groups etc.


I saw a video on FB from my previous club and their restrictions seem a bit more full on. Have to enter a certain way, have to sign a waiver, that sort of thing.


Hearing ammos is aiming for July 11 commencement. Play everyone once then top 4 get finals, so essentially the season is cut in half.
I think clubs need to keep a record of who attends, for tracing. Personal water bottles only. No using change rooms, no hanging around for a beer together afterwards. That last one sucks, especially for vets.
 

ioppolo

This only ends one way.
Oct 3, 2010
27,263
25,721
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Chelsea, OKC Thunder, Scorchers
Presumably these distancing restrictions are lifted when the season proper starts?

Otherwise you have the situation of playing a contact sport, only to then stay distanced for huddles and the team song etc?:think:
 
Oct 3, 2007
16,084
17,344
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
West Perth
No need to open the state borders, happy for them to be closed until whenever.
But why are we still under such tight restrictions within our state.
There is no reason sport can't start immediately, there is no reasons pubs and restaurants can't fully open without restrictions.
WA should lead the way and show the world look what we did, we locked down and now we are fully operational.
People say we need to be careful, careful of what? If we don't have the Virus here and I am only going off what the government are telling us then how can you transmit and catch something that is not here?
Let no one in the state and just get on with things internally.
 

ioppolo

This only ends one way.
Oct 3, 2010
27,263
25,721
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Chelsea, OKC Thunder, Scorchers
No need to open the state borders, happy for them to be closed until whenever.
But why are we still under such tight restrictions within our state.
There is no reason sport can't start immediately, there is no reasons pubs and restaurants can't fully open without restrictions.
WA should lead the way and show the world look what we did, we locked down and now we are fully operational.
People say we need to be careful, careful of what? If we don't have the Virus here and I am only going off what the government are telling us then how can you transmit and catch something that is not here?
Let no one in the state and just get on with things internally.
This is what I've been asking people for the last two weeks, but all I ever hear is talk about a second wave and how winter is just around the corner.
 
Back