Perfect scenario impossible as football works on finals solution

But now it's time for everyone to put self interest on hold, even be willing to take a hit Iwhich may be unfair, to ensure flags are awarded in a few weeks' time.

AFL Riverina has plenty of options at their disposal to try and complete the season, NSW government restrictions, willing, which they will mull over next week.

But the hard reality is everyone will have a different opinion on what scenario is best. How much training time do they need? How many teams should be in finals? How long should finals go for? How long are teams prepared to delay the season in order to get it completed? Will crowds need to be capped according to health advice? Is having the Farrer and Riverina League grand finals on the same weekend feasible?

The list goes on, and it's a complex jigsaw puzzle officials needed to put together. The fact is it won't suit every club and their situation entirely, and selfishness will only make it tougher than it already is.

Thankfully, every club coach or official this newspaper has spoken to this week has understood this, and are simply keen to get games underway as soon as possible.

After most clubs didn't play last year, the interruption of the season just as finals are set to begin is a tough blow for everyone to take.

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Everyone is overworked and mentally exhausted as another period of uncertainty hangs over everyone involved. Players are training solo while also dealing with the challenge of not knowing when, or if, they'll play again.

Teams who finished fifth are wondering if they'll be cut from finals due to time constraints. Clubs are missing out on valuable gate revenue after this weekend's scheduled last round of the Riverina League was abandoned.

Coolamon was last Sunday cruelly denied a chance to host the local derby against Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong last week, their biggest-grossing game of the year, when the lockdown began on Saturday.

Now it's about ensuring competitions can get as much football, and opportunities to make money, as possible.

"We had a meeting (Farrer and Riverina League clubs and AFL officials) at Narrandera in July and they were talking like when we'd lose games, not if," Wagga Tigers president Paul Lucas said.

"We ended up back ending a lot of our functions to the end of the season which is where our income comes from. Our income comes off bar takings and we haven't got that."

Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes finished second after the regular season, and coach Jeremy Rowe said clubs need to be prepared to accept some concessions when officials hand down their plan of attack.

"We're genuinely not interested in our own backyard, we just want games to be played. Every footballer and netballer has put in so much work, we just want to play as soon as we can," he said this week.

"We have to have that can do attitude and be in it together. If we get too caught up in our own backyards and we're not willing to make concessions, it will only end poorly."

In a nutshell, what officials decide to do won't suit everybody. Appeasing the majority is the best possible outcome, and it's up to everyone to accept the verdict for the good of the game.

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