It’s not just local farmers and shop owners who have been on high alert following the rising floodwaters, local sporting associations have also been keeping a close eye on proceedings.
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The waters in the Macquarie River peaked on Thursday morning at 4.9m while it was again expected to peak at 7.6m later that night.
Despite Thursday’s sunshine, the rain earlier in the week had already drenched local sporting fields and the chance of more rain could force the cancellation of a number of matches as local councils look to protect the playing surfaces their sporting venues. And with winter sports now approaching finals time it could cause a lot of headaches.
“The last thing we want is deferred games because there’s no real way to replay them,” Central West Rugby Union (CWRU) president Frank Newman said.
“Four grades can’t really go somewhere midweek and start playing at 7pm because it would finish at midnight.”
It is now only the CWRU who are hoping for clear skies, with Group 11 also keeping one towards the heavens.
As of Thursday afternoon, the only match to be affected was Dubbo Westside’s clash with the Parkes Spacemen, which has been moved from No. 1 Oval to the more rain-friendly surroundings of Caltex Park.
Group 11 secretary Ross McDermott said he had confirmation from both Nyngan and Wellington that both Larkin Oval and Kennard Park were decent shape while he had no concerns over Narromine’s Cale Oval in the lead up to Saturday’s clash between the Jets and Forbes Magpies, despite waters in the town expected to peak on the weekend.
Central West AFL (CWAFL) is also in a state of limbo, due to the surfaces of the ovals in Bathurst, where the Dubbo Demons are meant to play this weekend.
Demons stand-in president Nick Lowther confirmed his club has put their hand up to host all fixtures should council close the George Park Ovals in Bathurst.
The other CWAFL matches in Young and Parkes are expected to both go ahead unaffected.
In other sports, Dubbo Netball Association announced on Thursday morning that all the Nita McGrath Courts were closed until further notice, due largely in part to their proximity to the Macquarie River.
Next door the Riverbank Ovals were also closed, throwing a number of teams’ training plans into disarray yet again.
CWRU president Newman summed up how most sporting sides and associations are feeling in relation to this season, stating it has been “an abnormally wet winter”.
“It’s frustrating for everyone because the clubs just want to play and we try to make that happen but it’s hard when the paddocks are closed,” he said.