Gulgong's North West Falcons are keen to get the 2020 season underway, but until there's a directive from the state government, it's still a waiting game with no concrete date set for a return to play.
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Football NSW has prepared a set of draft guidelines that will be revised once the Office of Sport releases a Return to Play Framework. Which the Office began finalising once they knew how restrictions would be eased from Friday (May 15).
The local club competes in the Dubbo and District Football Association, which hasn't been able to complete a structure for the season without yet knowing what the state government will allow.
Falcons co-president Greg Reid said that although there were concerns particularly about the possibility of the comp running two games per week to catch up - with travel being more of a burden for the Gulgong based club - they're eager to see play return in some capacity.
"A lot of the players are keen to just get back onto the pitch and play some games," he said.
"Although a lot are worried about how the season's going to be - whether it's going to run one month longer, or a shortened season, or two games per week.
"Apart from that we just want to get onto the field. And I'm sure that once the competition gets the all-clear to start running, we'll be allowed to start training."
Last year saw the Falcons men reach the grand final, which needed to be decided by penalty shoot-out - with the Gulgong side only just missing out on the trophy. While the club's ladies side endured a challenging 2019 in first-grade, but are looking forward to the lower division this year.
They had started training in February before the brakes were put on for social distancing.
"For a few people their situation has changed because of the pandemic, and there were some worries about the grading, so we've lost a few players here and there," Reid said.
"It might be a bit hard to start the season, but I think that we can handle it. And with the men's side we've got guys that are close-knit and when they get back together on the park after the time off it'll be like nothing happened."