PREMIER 'ENTIRELY' TO BLAME
Wes Fang's plea to people to not panic buy was a bit late - there was a shopping frenzy going on 30 minutes after the announcement ("Residents urged no to panic buy as regional NSW enters lockdown", August 14).
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Mr Fang's quote in The DA, "While it is short notice, given the case numbers today out of Sydney and particularly for us, the numbers out of Canberra and Dubbo local government areas and the sewerage traces that are being detected across the state, it is important that we lock down for seven days" is correct.
However, it is more correct to say that if Ms Berejiklian had shown she can learn from the experience of every other state in the country over the last 18 months and locked down Sydney with a ring of steel weeks ago, we wouldn't be in this position.
Fancy saying it is OK to travel from a hot spot to an area where there have been no cases to look at a possible investment property!
It is entirely her fault. I don't know if it is pride, loyalty to a fellow party person "trying" to lead the country or what, but it is her fault.
The mental and physical health and stress she has put frontline workers under by her stubbornness and "I know best" is disgraceful. So is the large number of police and defence personnel now needed to help solve the problem she allowed to develop.
I sincerely doubt Mr Fang's concluding observation that "If we get this right, we will be in a much better position when we come out of it."
It is far too late!
John Goonan, Kooringal
SUPPORT NEEDED TO HELP ATHLETES CARVE OUT CAREERS
The Riverina Lions finished a nearly two-decade long stint in the Canberra AFL League on Saturday.
Eighteen-plus years of self-funded travel to Canberra, with home games as rare as a write-up in The Daily Advertiser.
Of course, due to lockdowns, we missed our 4:30am wake up to make the bus trip to Canberra for our last ever game as a club.
Despite having a female team in the Canberra competition, and an associated opportunity to promote women's AFL within the Riverina, The Daily Advertiser managed to only write about the 20 male players from Canberra who were unable to play in Wagga over the weekend.
In the sake of fairness, I will add that a soccer team also got a small mention.
Never mind the 20 to 26 female footballers who have now finished out an era perhaps as they started - ignored.
Growth and development of young female athletes, especially in AFL, is critical now more than ever.
The AFLW competition adding more teams gives young women a sporting career to strive for.
The recent AFLW draft pick could lead to many young female athletes finding their sporting careers.
This does mean, however, that we expect better from a local, male-focused newspaper. Pre-season for women's AFL Summer Competition starts in November. I am sure we can discuss options for coverage of women's AFL then. I look forward to it.
Kate Opolski, Wagga
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