The day without football and netball was a gloomy one | Coronavirus

On Saturday, April 4, we were supposed to reunite as a community for round one of the Horsham District Football Netball League's 2020 season.

But no sport was played on Saturday, as the reality of postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic came into view.

Taylors Lake co-coach Taylor Milner said there was a "different" feeling on the weekend.

"We had a bit of a discussion about it during the week, then waking up (on Saturday) morning, and when you were due to travel to footy, it was definitely a bit like, 'what do I do now?'" he said.

"Obviously it's something we have to adjust to in this day and age.

"I tried to go for a run, kick a footy and make the most of it, but it's definitely tough."

Saturday was supposed to showcase the fruits of a club's labour after another long off-season, planning behind the scenes that had begun long before the end of last season.

Parents were supposed to be rising at the crack of dawn on Saturday, without complaint, to take their children wherever they needed to go, to help provide excited youngsters the all-important education of team sport.

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Saturday was supposed to be the chance for players to finally put all their hard work to use; the shuttle runs, the burpees, the 400s, the Tuesday and Thursday evening training rituals, the hours poured into bettering yourself, bettering your team, and in turn, bettering your community.

When Saturday arrived, we were all supposed to turn to each other and marvel: "Gee footy has come around again quickly, hasn't it?"

Yet in 2020, there is no sport in sight.

And while optimistic predictions point to June 6 as a potential starting date, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Friday that this could all go on for six months.

On Saturday, we instead stared down the barrel of a winter without sport, for the first time since the incomprehensible cataclysm of World War II.

Amidst all this chaos, now, more than ever, we could use the cathartic release of one of those ritualistic Saturdays at the football and netball.

May sport return quicker than expected.

Read more: Wimmera discusses what a shortened season could look like amid coronavirus pandemic

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