While Victoria's snap lockdown has been inconvenient for most, it couldn't have come at a worse time for Werribee VFL footballer and former Horsham Demon Ryan Kemp.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The small forward is in his third year with Werribee and was all set for a big 2021 before a training mishap left him with a broken hand just two weeks before the start of the season.
Once the pins were removed from his hand, Kemp made his return to senior football through his home club Darley in round four of the Ballarat Football League, kicking an impressive six goals from his two appearances.
"I got them (the pins) pulled out on Monday and I played footy on Saturday cause I was just itching to play, but the hand's fine now," Kemp said.
READ MORE:
Finally, in round six of the new-look VFL competition, Kemp was given his first start for Werribee in their clash with the Northern Bullants.
Werribee dispatched the Bullants by 160-points, with Kemp making the most of his opportunity slotting four goals in his return for the club.
Unfortunately for Kemp, not long after the Bullants win, the Victorian snap lockdown was enforced and he and officials are still non-the-wiser as to when Melbourne-based VFL clubs will be able to take the field again.
"I finally got it right and started playing alright and then yeah COVID hit again," Kemp said.
"I felt like I was starting to hit my straps too."
At 24, Kemp is still young in football terms and is hoping to use the VFL season to mount a case for AFL clubs to draft him come the end of the year.
In 2019 the forward played 13 games for Werribee, kicking 11 goals, which caught the eye of Fremantle who invited him to test with them.
OTHER NEWS:
He has since been in contact with an AFL club as recently as this year, which he described as "promising".
Werribee, now coached by ex-AFL Docker and Sun, Michael Barlow, currently sit a healthy sixth on the VFL ladder.
"We lost the first two and then we've won our last three, three on the trot and we had Sandringham and Bulldogs next up, but that's obviously not going ahead," Kemp said.
"They are two tough teams which would have challenged us but we're definitely looking up."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.mailtimes.com.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Wim_Mail_Times
- Follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/wimmeramailtimes/