The South Dubbo Wanderers pre-season was only just starting to begin in earnest when the bombshell dropped that all playing clubs would be standing down in response to COVID-19.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"The day they made that announcement, we were set to train that Tuesday and we had to cancel all our plans right before we started," Club President Matt Stonestreet said.
READ ALSO:
It's a bitter pill to swallow for the club, especially after a promising start at the beginning of the year, but making things even more difficult is that even if the Western Premier League competition returns this year, the Wanderers will likely miss out.
"I think given the current situation, we probably won't be fielding a team in the Western Premier League competition this year," Stonestreet said.
"Just given the lack of training and the ability to get out there on the field, we probably won't be able to get ourselves into the best competitive position possible and so we're going to have to treat this as a building year."
As it stands, the Western NSW Football governing body are not committing to play resuming before the end of May, with training also impossible until at least then.
"We'll take this year as it comes, we'll still be there playing and competing locally and we'll be training as soon as we're able to get back to it and we'll be able to make that step next year," Stonestreet said.
"The general mood around is a bit glum, definitely, but everyone's really excited to make the return and all the players are just constantly waiting to get the go ahead to go back to training."
Stonestreet said that at the moment, the club is focused on managing their affairs as best they can during the ongoing crisis, and will be looking to ensure that everyone is fighting fit as soon as a return to the playing fields is possible.
"Right now, we're passing on the official message as they come through from Dubbo and District, down from Western NSW Football and we're giving people all the advice and resources that they need to stay fit and healthy at home."
Stonestreet acknowledged that even if the regular playing season returns, time on-field might be limited, with talks of a longer season to compensate possibly clashing with the reality of Dubbo's limited playing surfaces.
Despite the difficulties, Stonestreet says he's glad to see the playing group sticking together, as much as is possible with current social distancing measures.
"All the players have really got involved, they're chatting to each other and handing out tips, especially the first grade guys who've got a good chat going and are really staying active at home," Stonestreet said.
"We've got our coaches who we're sort of looking to keep people motivated, they're handing down fitness work and training drills to keep people working out at home as well."
"Right now we're just waiting for the official message and following instruction with our fingers crossed for some good news."