Last week we saw the announcement from the Victorian Government that they will be reducing the restrictions on community sport. We are now in a position to be able to share more definitive plans in terms of what this means for Gridiron Victoria.
Returning to play in a safe, hygienic and controlled manner is paramount to GV. The safety and well being of our participants is our number one priority. As such, our return to play strategy has been focused on ensuring we have the clear endorsement of State Government and public health officials at every phase of return.
The return to train protocols for American Football in Victoria will enable:
- Training to resume in groups of up to 10 people. The group of 10 does not include a coach or the minimum number of support staff who are reasonably required to manage the activity.
- Two groups of 10 can utilise the same oval provided they do not operate closely together, and the oval is split into two zones.
- There is to be no contact between players or coaches and a minimum distance of 1.5m must always be maintained. This means you WILL NOT be able to do many drills Eg. Blocking on bags or each other, hand offs, tackling, flag/touch football.
- A register of who attended each and every session must be maintained and we recommend all participants download the Covid Safe app.
We will continue to work with the State Government to ensure alignment with their advice, and in the event of further easing of restrictions, we hope to be able to return to full training and competition later in the year, with hygiene and safety protocols firmly in place. Our primary focus is preparing to return to train in a safe environment in a well prepared and educated manner. In order for this return to play to be successful, and in line with Government advice, it is essential that clubs and individuals work within the timelines and protocols and do not move ahead of the level and restrictions in place.
To see our full return to play policy and plan for Phase 2&3 click here
