The Riverina League's premier ruckman has withdrawn from round one against Turvey Park on Saturday and is no certainty to suit up at all in the next two months.

"It's looking likely that he's not going to play this season now, due to COVID reasons and to do with his business and young family - he's just had a bub not long ago," GGGM coach Christin Macri said.

Olsson played in the Lions' intra-club game and the practice match at Osborne, although he did injure an ankle. But the bigger picture of the pandemic has hung over his pre-season.

"He was playing earlier in the week but I had a good conversation with Olsso on Tuesday night and he's let me know that at this stage, he's not going to be playing," Macri said.

"He's not officially done (for the season), he's been umming and aahing all along... but he's made the decision now to pull back. I would say it's less likely than likely that he'll play at all."

Olsson leaves a big hole. He is a five-time best-and-fairest winner at GGGM and was last year voted by the coaches as the Riverina League Player of the Year, beating Coolamon's Jake Barrett by three votes.

"No doubt. He's the best ruckman in the league or right up there," Macri said.

"But other guys get an opportunity. Dan Foley will get the role (against Turvey) and I know he's jumping at the opportunity and really keen. He's very mobile and can be an extra on-baller for us. I'm excited to see what he can bring after the taps are done. And he's a good leap.

"I don't think we'll lose too much there. We might gain something else."

Macri said the Lions are in full support of their star footballer's decision.

"Everyone has their own individual circumstances and family comes before anything else - family and work, and if they can get footy in, that's fantastic," he said.

"I'd be the last person to try to talk someone into something they don't want to be doing so we totally respect it."

It's another chapter in a tumultuous 2020 for sports clubs but, on the eve of the season, most at the Lions now feel like it's Christmas in July.

"It's exciting, the fact that we can just play. We've maintained all along that we want to play and if the government advice is that we can play, that's what we're doing, regardless of how the team looked," Macri said.

"Yes we've benefitted from some boys coming back and that sort of stuff but we just wanted to play. These boys want to play footy - they're the ones who have done the work - and we just said we'll keep pushing along until we know otherwise. I'm just glad we're playing for them even if it's just six weeks and a couple of weeks of finals."

The Lions have also welcomed back Curtis Steele from Coleambally. He was set to co-coach the Blues until they withdrew from the Farrer League` He was left out of GGGM's senior side against Turvey Park.

"Curtis, through no fault of his own, has stepped in late and he's had some work the last couple of weeks where he hasn't been able to get to training. Our round one team is a reward for some guys who have done some work over a long period of time," Macri said.

He conceded there are exceptions, like ex-Wodonga Raiders defender Matt Neagle who landed in the club's lap late, but said they weighed up whether Steele will be as well-served by a full game in reserve grade as coming off the bench in firsts.

"I see him being in our side down the track, no doubt," Macri said. "He's a very good ball user and he's got experience."

Turvey Park will have their first hit-out under new co-coaches Josh Ashcroft and Chase Grintell.

"I don't know a lot about Turvey to be honest. I know they've got a couple of guys who have stepped into coaching roles which I really admire and, in a lot of ways, can't thank them enough because that allows them to play and gets their season rolling and keeps our season rolling," Macri said.

"That's a huge job for those guys and I just admire the fact that they've gone, 'Nup, we want to play and we'll take it on'.

"Turvey's traditionally been a young side in recent years but no-one knows what anyone looks like or who's officially is going to be running out.

"We're in no position to take anyone lightly and we need to be playing good footy right from the start because there's no lulls in a six-game season."

Turvey Park have named former Charles Sturt University defender Jack Thompson in the ruck and ex-Northern Jets star Alex Rogers (who was going to play at East Wagga-Kooringal this year) on a wing.

MORE SPORTS NEWS: