THERE will be no sharing of bibs, the games will be shortened and minimal spectators will be allowed on the sidelines, but Hastings Valley Netball Association have set their sights on a July 18 resumption.
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Things will certainly look different for the 2020 season for the association's 1400 junior and senior members once they clear the final health hurdle.
HVNA president Cathy Glover was confident it would only be a matter of time before they received the green light from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
"When we do return - and we're hopeful it will be on July 18 - it will all be based on the Public Health Orders and requirements for COVID-19 to make sure we comply," she said.
"We're looking at reducing the times of the games so it will allow extra time for cleaning in between each game so as to ensure we're complying with the requirements and to make sure we don't get shut down."
Disinfecting goal post pads will become the norm as will arriving only to participate in each player's designated match.
Players will not be permitted to spectate at other matches. Once their game is finished, they must leave.
"We're doing all that we can to ensure our members are catered for as best as we can, but there will be double the workload on all of our volunteers and that's who we rely on."
The competition will be shortened from a 15-week-plus-finals format to a 10-week plus one week of finals where each team competes.
"It is an exciting time because the sport in itself is large within our area," Glover said.
"Every Saturday we go from 8.30am until about 5pm so they're big days and it will be exciting for everyone to be back at the courts, but we need to maintain and abide by the Public Health Orders and restrictions at the time."
The association, along with each individual club, will have to appoint a COVID-19 health officer.
"We're hoping to return juniors and Saturday competitions on July 18, seniors would be July 20 for the Monday night competition and the Thursday night social competition we hope will be July 23.
"We're setting our sights on July 18 because all the fees have already been paid so we want to do what we can to provide some sort of competition."
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