Comment: New football normal here for a short time

For the first time since World War II, players, fans and supporters are facing the prospect of a winter without football.

A worldwide pandemic has thrown plans into chaos and brought sport, globally and locally, to its knees.

But there are pockets of hope amid the frustration.

Clubs have banded together, their on-field hatred momentarily cast aside for the greater good.

They need each other to not only survive COVID-19 but to thrive. The core reasons players play - friendship and community - have come to the fore.

There is no start date yet but teams can return to non-contact training, under stringent AFL Victoria guidelines, if they wish.

They don't know what they're training for - the premiership carrot usually dangling at the end might soon be whipped away.

North Warrnambool Eagles entered the season as a flag contender; its long-suffering fans hoping to celebrate a maiden premiership in September.

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Those supporters, many of whom attend training weekly to cast an eye over 'their boys', weren't there when coach Adam Dowie and his players returned to the track on Thursday.

Aside from a group of 20 players - split in half to adhere to guidelines - and a handful of coaching staff, Bushfield was empty.

No netballers, no trainers strapping players' ankles, no volunteers cooking dinner.

Many clubs have put training on hold. That wasn't an option for Dowie.

"I think for me and for our guys - it's the old thing: Why do you play footy?," he said.

"Everyone wants to win but if you actually break it down, is that why you play footy?

"You play footy because you like the game. You play footy because of social contact and making friends. You can still do that at training."

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Football is a contact sport. It's not just the on-field hits, tackles and pack marks.

It's the high-fives and pats on the back. It's the players linked arm-in-arm belting out the song post game.

North players were cautioned against those everyday acts of kindness and camaraderie on Thursday night.

Dowie was heard reminding them "keep your 1.5 metres distance" as the club strived to ensure it met stringent regulations in place.

It's the new normal but it won't be for long. Time will pass and restrictions will lift.

All players will hit the training track, volunteers will return and supporters will park around the oval for games and toot their horns after each goal.

The Hampden league was just 11 years old when it was forced into a five-year hiatus to accommodate World War II. It's now 90 and facing a second enforced break.

We might not have a 2020 premier. But all 10 clubs, North included, will be ready next year.

"It's about the journey not the destination," Dowie said.

"We don't know where the destination is going to be at the moment so enjoy the journey and this is just part of it."

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