WAGGA City Wanderers co-captain Carl Pideski is hopeful the toughest period in the quest to get the game back is behind them after Capital Football gave them the green light to resume training.
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The governing body confirmed they have ticked off the club's return to training plan, which adheres to strict social distancing guidelines.
Change rooms will not be in use, training will be completed in groups of ten and restricted to skill drills, spectators are not allowed, bibs worn by players must be taken home and washed and a COVID-19 marshal appointed by the club.
The Wanderers have been keen to return to training as soon as possible, with their Canberra-based rivals in the National Premier League ACT Division Two competition already having a two week headstart.
"There's a lot of procedures we have to adhere to and do properly, but it's good to get back into the swing of things," Pideski said.
"It's not like you can go back in large groups, we'll have to be careful but we'll do our best.
"It's more mental now to try and get your head around it. On Sunday a few of us older players and coaching staff had a meeting and discussed if there's a cluster in Sydney or something, does that mean that nothing is going to go ahead and it's going to shut down?
"It's a bit of the unknown, we still don't know when the season will start so it's a very different situation to be in.
"I don't know how long the season is going to go for, I think there was talk there'd be eight to ten rounds and then finals. But we'll have to wait and see."
The 37-year-old returned to the Wanderers this year after taking last year off, and initially suspected two months ago his planned swansong season would be called off "barring a miracle".
But the success in the measures against the coronavirus pandemic and the relaxation of restrictions, which should hopefully ease further after June 30, has given him a lifeline.
"I haven't done any training, I've only been working and it's going to be tough. I don't know how my body is going to hold up, to be fair," he said.
"(A bench cameo) may happen, it won't be out of the question. If I can get back to some sort of fitness I might be able to do a job for 60 minutes, then Babs (coach Michael Babic) might sub me off.
"We'll have to wait and see, it's a bit of the unknown to see how we handle everything that is expected of us.
"I think some of the younger boys were doing a bit (training) because they're young and keen, but us older fellas are going to feel it more than them."
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