It is a point of pride for the Ouyen United Football Netball Club, in Victoria's north-west, that it boasts some of the biggest crowds in its local competition.
But the Kangas, who represent rural farming communities along the Mallee Track, are worried AFL Victoria's latest return-to-play protocols for the upcoming season will force them to turn spectators away at the gate.
A 1,000-person cap on crowds and a ban on spectators entering the field of play between breaks loom as the most contentious among the guidelines, published over the weekend.
The protocols, developed in line with Victorian Government restrictions, also include restrictions on who can enter changing rooms on match day, a requirement for clubs to sanitise footballs before training and matches, and a ban on handshakes and high-fives.
"It's going to be a bit of a worry for us, especially in the first few games of the season, we should smash 1,000 [spectators]," Ouyen United president Mal Crothers said.
"Our numbers at training have been through the roof and, talking to other people who don't play, they're all looking forward to [the 2021 season], so I think there is going to be a massive appetite for people to come along to our local games of footy and I hope they all get in.
"It's not what you want in our small communities."
Pressure on volunteers
The Kangas are one of nine clubs in the Sunraysia Football Netball League (SFNL), centred around Mildura.
SFNL president Paul Matheson said the spectator limit, which also requires maximum group sizes at the ground to be restricted to 100 people, as per government rules on outdoor gatherings, would put pressure on clubs that hold family days or multiple matches — including junior fixtures — at the same time.
"It's definitely a different environment to what we're used to, but I think it's something to work through," he said.
Mr Matheson questioned though whether it was feasible for clubs to have volunteers counting spectators entering and leaving the ground.
"Does it mean you have to change some start times? It's something we need to think about as a board and get some input from the club presidents," he said.
Mr Crothers said the ban on fans entering the field to kick the footy or listen to the coaches' address would "go down like a lead balloon".
"I don't know how that's going to be enforced or policed because I don't think it should be up to the clubs to stop people walking on to the ground."
Not an issue for all
However, not all clubs or leagues will be directly affected by the 1,000-fan limit.
Rob Popplestone, a spokesman for the Mid-Gippsland Football League said very few matches in the region would reach the crowd cap.
"Maybe some Gippsland, Latrobe games might be touching on that figure in the home and away season, but in most parts, 1,000 people will see us out," he said.
Rhett McLennan, coach of Under-19 representative side Gippsland Power, said at NAB League level, spectators would be discouraged from actually attending matches unless their children are involved.
"Similar to a couple of games that were held in country football last year, most clubs will have COVID officers who will walk around the ground making sure the guidelines that are being proposed are being upheld by people that are there," he said.
Mr Popplestone said many community clubs were still trying to figure what the code would look like in practice.
"How it actually rolls out is still to be firmed up, but some of them are going to be harder than others to enforce," he said.
He said anything to help ensure the season could go ahead was welcome.
Optimism for the year ahead
Bass Coast Breakers coach Bianca Hellmuth-Pask said the restrictions were frustrating but necessary.
"At the end of the day, if it's going to keep us safe, and keep us playing, that's the main thing," she said.
Ms Hellmuth-Pask said the main loss would be not being able to celebrate with friends and family in the change rooms after a win.
Officials are also hopeful their competitions will be less prone to state border closures, which scuttled their hopes of any action last season.
"Last year, there were issues in relation to border controls but now we have green zones and border community [permits]," Mr Matheson, whose SFNL includes two clubs with home grounds in New South Wales, said.
"It should be a lot more workable than what it was, and it probably put an end to our potential junior competition last year, when New South Wales closed the border."
