GREY area is no one's friend.
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It only creates confusion. Angst. Frustration. Stress. Which has only made the unenviable task local sports associations and clubs have had in trying to salvage seasons even harder.
The grey area has no doubt created plenty of grey hairs as officials react from one government announcement to the next, trying to get their ducks in a row to appease not only players, coaches and clubs, but the health concerns of the community.
Unfortunately, some of the directives issued by the government have simply been suggestions or strong recommendations, which then puts pressure back on associations and clubs to make decisions for themselves.
The last fortnight in particular has been a logistical nightmare for AFL Riverina and, to a lesser extent, Football Wagga.
The Riverina League has been reduced to six teams with most clubs opting to withdraw for safety reasons. Coolamon even highlighted an inability to make the exclusion of non-Riverina players and coaches mandatory as the major factor in why they pulled out of 2020.
AFL Riverina issued a 'strong recommendation' participants avoid travelling to and from Border regions, and newcomers Osborne Tigers eventually met them halfway on Friday by confirming they won't field any Albury-based players.
The club presidents I've spoken to this week are fed up with the lack of a definitive answer from government, and therefore being asked to form policy on the run themselves.
If there is a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer from the government on whether out-of-town recruits can travel to the Riverina, then it makes things black and white and takes the call out of clubs' hands.
Instead, they're forced to ring rival clubs and ask what their stance is before making one themselves, in fear other teams will field recruits and therefore have stronger teams.
AFL Riverina and Football Wagga both expected the directive advising against travelling to and from Border towns would eventually be made a concrete, non negotiable rule.
It still might, but the continued delay is causing all sorts of headaches that can be avoided if people in charge are more assertive.
We're in the midst of a health crisis here. It shouldn't be the responsibility of volunteers charged with trying to sort keep their leagues afloat, to be making decisions that potentially effect the safety of the community.
Our politicians and health professionals are elected and paid to come up with the big calls.
Football Wagga president Tony Dobbin summed it up best after deferring Albury City's Pascoe Cup clash on Sunday for the second straight week.
"We need a definitive answer, and it's time for government to give one," Dobbin said.
"We've acted in good faith with what the premier said at the time (advising against Border travel) and we really expected that would be put into the NSW health guidelines, but it hasn't happened.
"It's asking people like us who are absolute amateurs in this to do a risk assessment, but what we need is expert advice and a clear statement from the department of health or the premier that this is the rule."
The government issued more directives on Friday advising sports groups to 'minimise the number of spectators attending community sports events'.
"We are asking that all community sport organisations put plans in place to minimise community sport spectators where practical, to parents and carers only. Unfortunately this means we'd prefer no aunties and uncles, grandparents or siblings crowding the sidelines if they don't need to be there," the statement read.
Again, it's just a suggestion. It's not a hard and fast rule, nor is it enforceable. Associations will now ask "what's practicable? How do we enforce this? Who's an essential spectator?"
And why announce this on a Friday, 24 hours before players take to the field, giving associations barely any time to adjust and notify people?
It's enough to give everyone grey hairs.
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