The Central Highlands Football League has asked spectators be kept to a minimum as junior competition finally gets up and running this weekend.
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In an email to clubs, CHFL president Doug Hobson stressed a range of points that need to be followed to ensure football can continue throughout the region.
"This week is not an opportunity for all members of the club to come along. Members of the club who might not be able to play should not be attending these junior matches," he said.
"All spectators must respect physical distancing and each club must ensure that their members are respecting this requirement."
Gate-keepers will be monitoring those in attendance at grounds across the CHFL.
"All who are in attendance should be able to be recognised through one of three means: listed on the team sheet, through having the COVIDSafe App loaded onto to their mobile phone or through signing a registration sheet including a contact number upon entry to the venue," Hobson said.
"If a person doesn't want to follow these requirements they need to be asked not to attend in the interests of the junior players.
"Extra time is left between each game because anyone who is not part of the next match should leave the venue after the match they were part of."
Those in attendance have been asked not to enter the oval at any stage unless listed on the club team sheet and to also stay away from change rooms.
"Change rooms should not be used for the normal preparations. It should be for toilets and medical requirements," Hobson said.
"As has been the case in recent weeks for the return to training, players should where possible come prepared to play and any changing required be kept to a minimum."
The CHFL has scheduled three grades of competition in 2020 - under-18, under-15 and under-12 - and games will be played at Wallace, Hepburn, Newlyn, Waubra, Daylesford and Learmonth this weekend.
"This week is going to be very exciting, as will the subsequent rounds when so many get a chance to play which didn't look possible over recent months," Hobson said.
"But everyone must remember that we remain in a pandemic environment, a situation which has not been experienced for more than a century, and the only way our junior players will get to play through to September is through everyone following the return to matches guidelines to the letter."
