Liam Durkin
SPORT
By LIAM DURKIN
AS soon as Premier Daniel Andrews uttered the words ‘community sport can resume’ on Tuesday, a number of bodies governing local sport started the mad dash to finalise details of how matches to be played this weekend would be carried out.
Basketball, baseball, hockey and junior football will be going ahead – albeit under very strict restrictions.
No crowds will be able to attend any game, while players themselves have been told to virtually – arrive, play and leave.
The Latrobe Valley Soccer League met with clubs last night to discuss and vote on the feasibility of playing this weekend under guidelines released by Football Victoria, but league president Allan Roberts said he was “quietly optimistic” that senior and junior competitions would go ahead when asked by The Express yesterday morning.
Like a kid confined to the naughty corner, senior footballers and netballers will have to stay put knowing their counterparts are outside having fun.
Hockey action will see the Latrobe Valley Hockey Association return in seniors and juniors, while baseball will be treated to a double-entendre.
The regular Latrobe Valley Baseball Association competition sees senior and Under-16 games on Sunday.
A little further down the Princes Highway, the Under-16 State Winter Championships are going ahead at Stephenson Park, Sale.
Local basketball sees the Traralgon Amateur Basketball Association (TABA) and Basketball Moe Inc resume their seasons.
TABA junior programs recommenced last night.
All TABA senior programs will recommence Monday, August 2.
The Moe domestic basketball competition for seniors and juniors resumed last night.
Basketball Victoria has ruled a maximum of one parent or guardian may attend training and games per player under 18.
Golfers can also get back onto the course but must adhere to a series of regulations including booking using an online timesheet.
Racing clubs have been able to reopen.
Moe Racing Club, which has been crucified by two lockdowns coinciding with race meetings, now has its bistro operating and is looking at dates for a meeting to host full members.
Racing will go ahead for the Ladbrokes Members Day on August 7, but the course will unfortunately be closed to the public.
The Central Gippsland Junior Football League (CGJFL) will play Round 10 matches this
weekend. The CGJFL has a number of ideas in place to facilitate the rest of the season.
“As a league we will firstly aim to finish the home and away rounds of our season, then look towards a two week finals series if everything goes to plan,” it said in an online post.
“There is a couple of finals options being discussed at club level, including normal top four, two divisions to still allow participation for as many participants as possible, one week for just the top two sides, or no finals at all.
“No decisions will be finalised or venues announced until after the next two weekends games, and of course how restrictions look at that time.”
The Traralgon and District Junior Football League (TDJFL) is also going ahead with a revised fixture will be distributed to clubs to make up for the cancelled rounds.
