Tara Murray
Local sporting clubs found themselves on the sidelines once again last weekend after the Victorian government’s snap lockdown put games and training on hold for at least seven days.
As well as games scheduled for the weekend, many clubs had functions that have either been cancelled or postponed.
The Essendon District Football League suffered a scare last week, with a Moonee Valley thirds player testing positive to COVID-19.
The player played in the Fog’s match against Hillside last Saturday, while there were also two women’s matches and a club function at the ground on that day.
The Department and Health has listed Ormond Park as an exposure site, with three different classifications.
Anyone who was in the change rooms between noon- 4pm or was at the club’s ladies day function between 4-6pm must get tested and isolate for 14 days.
Anyone who was at the ground between 12pm and 5.30pm has to get tested and isolate until they return a negative result.
All Sharks players involved in that game were sent for tests on Tuesday afternoon.
Hillside president Sebastian Buccheri said as they understand it as of Friday morning, they are classified as being a tier two contact as they didn’t share a changeroom with the infected player.
“Moonee Valley and Hillside have been one step ahead of the contact tracers,” he said.
“We were told verbally that we were likely to be classified as a tier one contact. It wasn’t until Thursday afternoon the website was updated… It looks like we’ve been re-graded due to all the contact being outdoors.”
The EDFL is yet to officially release details about what will happen with the postponed round and the round the following week, with some players possibly still in isolation.
The Western Region and Northern football leagues issued releases saying that all clubs had been told pre-season that if a round was to be cancelled, it wouldn’t be played at a later date.
The Riddell District Football League told clubs that a decision on whether matches were cancelled or postponed would be made over the coming days.
Football Victoria on its website said it expected that all currently scheduled fixtures and competitions will be completed in full, with matches impacted by lockdown to be rearranged as quickly as possible.
Both the National Premier League and state league competitions have catch up rounds scheduled.
Basketball Victoria said the Big V matches from this weekend would be rescheduled, while the Victorian Junior Basketball League would be cancelled, with no catch up dates.
Netball Victoria’s online statement didn’t make mention of catch up matches.
