The Ballarat Football League season is on hold with the COVID-19 virus having brought sport to a standstill.
AFL Victoria has suspended all as aspects of community football until at least May 31.
Hopes remain that an abbreviated football season might be able to be played.
If this comes to realisation, let's take a look at how teams will shape up.
Better on the luck on the injury front.
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This might be all North Ballarat City needs to spark of a resurgence and push to return to finals football.
North took a big hit with injuries last year.
Ben Simpson (hamstring), Ryan Luke (hand), Tim Speirs (knee), Daniel Jones (ankle) and Josh Bromley-Lynch (knee) - all key players - each had a significant injury-enforced break.
Coach Shane Skontra had no chance of covering these losses, as well as dealing with interruptions to the seasons of Simon McCartin and Will Young.
All North could do was press on.
Skontra said pleasingly rehabilitation had been a positive of the pre-season with his list looking in good shape.
He said North was much better placed now that it had been during last season's campaign as the injury list grew.
As well as keeping everyone on the park, North Ballarat will need to begin much better than 2019.
It was down and almost out after winning just two of their first eight games.
City did an amazing job to momentarily get back in finals contention, getting within one win of the top six after 14 rounds.
It was asking too much to keep it going, but the revival did give hope for this year, or whenever football finds a way back and resumes.
ON THE FIELD
North Ballarat did not go overboard with recruiting, again taking a relatively conservative approach.
However, getting Joey Symons and Mitch Johns back is akin to having two frontline recruits.
Symons is returning after a shocking run, having had two knee reconstructions.
Johns took last year away from the game.
They add experience and depth.
PLAYER MOVEMENTS
AFL-experienced Will Young was North Ballarat City's biggest loss over the summer.
While he did have an interrupted 2019 and struggled to find his best, he will be missed in attack where he was always potentially a handful for rival defenders.
North's recruiting has followed a similar pattern to a year ago, when it scouted around the district for players keen to give the Ballarat Football League a go.
Tom Nash (Waubra) and Jonathan O'Brien (Springbank) fit this mould again, with the opportunity there if they can grab it.
Also getting a few former juniors back on the list, including Collingwood VFL-listed Sam Glover is also encouraging.
