Here's the latest 'return to play' update from the SANFL regarding COVID-19...SANFL Community Football | Return to Play Update (as at 5 May 2020)Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last Friday of the likely easing of social restrictions within the next week, SANFL is currently reviewing the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a post COVID-19 environment and preparing a return to play framework for both State League and Community Football in South Australia, including training.As part of this comprehensive return to play road map, this week we will be making a submission outlining protocols for the resumption of training to SA Health, as required by the Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing. These protocols also must meet requirements of the Federal Government National Guidelines for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation activities.As a result of low levels of COVID-19 transmissions, outdoor community sport in South Australia is currently at ‘Level B’ under the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport, allowing non-contact group training of no more than 10 people (including coaches/staff) once specific protocols are approved by State Government. Progression into ‘Level C’ of safe activities would enable resumption of full training and competition, subject to compliance with all government directions, regulations and restrictions.Appreciating the number of participants associated with every football team – and the number of teams at each club – it is important to return to play in a structured manner which ensures the health and safety of participants and the broader football community.Approved return to play procedures are the only way to ensure football has the opportunity to return to normality with a continuous season.We therefore ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through these protocols and continue to play our part in ensuring the health and wellbeing of not only our participants, but the broader community.As previously communicated, we are hopeful of providing a detailed announcement about both SANFL Community Football and State League’s return to play by mid-May. Until such time that specific protocols are approved by State Government, formal club training and organised group activities cannot commence.We also request that your football community download the COVID-SAFE App to ensure we are able to quickly trace and manage any outbreaks in the community. The App also will be critical in a return to play framework.Links to both of the above mentioned documents are available here:• AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a Post COVID-19 Environment• National Guidelines for the Resumption of Sport and Recreation activitiesTake care and stay safe.Kind Regards,Tom HurleyHead of Community FootballSANFL

Jason 'Junior' Scarff is one of the finest country cricketers in South Australia. His record for his beloved Noarlunga Cricket Club (The Shoes) is exceptional. Jason is currently Noarlunga's 'A' grade Captain, a position he has held since 'The Shoes' moved from the Southern Cricket Association (SCA) to the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) at the end of the 2013/14 season. In that time he has captained the club to two GSCA 'A' grade premierships in 2016/17 and 2018/19 and his side were due to face off with Goolwa for a spot in the 2019/20 decider against Willunga, before COVID-19 brought the season to an untimely end.As I mentioned, Jason's record is exceptional.....12,000 runs, 350 wickets, 3 x 'A' grade hatricks, 10 x Peter McPherson club champion awards, 6 x Association Player of the Year awards (4 x SCA, 2 x GSCA), 5 x 'A' grade premierships (04/05, 05/06,11/12,16/17,18/19), 5 x 'A' grade T20 premierships (3 as captain), Meyer Shield winning captain 2017, SA Outbacks State representative 2011/12. Talking with 'Junior', I get the impression there's plenty more to come!How did you first get involved in Cricket? I first got involved in cricket growing up idolising my brother as I think most young brothers do. My brother and his mates watched and played cricket all the time, so I wanted to play. I followed them all out to Noarlunga. It was funny, I remember being young and Dave and his mates Olli, Hodgy and Rahe would sit on the couch watching the cricket, we especially loved watching Mark Waugh, and I was always saying "come on get up guys, let’s play backyard cricket", and they’d always yell out "shut up 'Junior', chill out, we’ll have plenty of time to play". I hated it! All I ever wanted to do was play. We had about four different grounds set out around our house. Mum and Dad loved it! Who have been the biggest influences on your Cricket career? The biggest influences in my life with cricket would definitely be my brother David and Mick Irvine (Ratsy) who played in the 'A' grade and was our club coach at the time when I started playing for Noarlunga. The man was tough and left a great foundation to make us what we are today and I have so much respect for him.  What do you enjoy about playing for Noarlunga?The thing I love about playing for Noarlunga the most is the mateship over all grades which I think is special. We still do after match presentations at the club and we all get back for a feed and a beer. That was drilled in to us when we were youngsters. I love to see the support still from the old faces that used to play when I was young. It’s great they still come out and show there support, especially Jon & Tim Head who rarely miss a game and do so much for the club. It’s got harder as the years have gone on but people still make an effort. It’s even better now that a lot of us have kids of our own and they all run amok together around the place and our wives all get along and have a good time. On the playing field our culture is very strong. We play hard and never give up. I’ve been involved with Noarlunga since under 14’s and still to this day I’ve never missed playing in the finals. What are some of your favourite sporting memories?That’s a tough one because there’s been so many. The ones that come to mind the most would be making the State Country team in 2011 and playing on Adelaide Oval in the Les Favell Cup. I was lucky enough to get a few runs and win player of the match. My first season in the 'A' grade we were undefeated and won the premiership. I got to share that with my brother and that was pretty special. We went on to win the following season to make it three flags in a row. But probably the most special memory would be last season's premiership win against an unbelievable Willinga side, one of the best I’ve played against in my time. Just from where we came from and what we built as a side was special and so pleasing to see how much we stuck together and played for each other, which I think is the biggest key in any sport. We had to win the last two games just to make finals so coming from fourth to bring it home really was something special and I couldn’t of been prouder of the lads. Who are some of your toughest opponents?I’ve played against some tough bastards (lol)! John Hopkins (Reynella) was an absolute legend and Shaun Tanner (Port Noarlunga) was very good. But Travis Bahr would be my 'number one'! That man refused to lie down, refused to give up and pulled off things that not many can pull off, especially with some of the situations. He made the hairs on your neck stand up and brought the best out of everyone. I played against him for four years and played with him for five years.  You’ve achieved a great deal but are there still any aims left for you to achieve?I’d love to play a game of cricket with my son, Jack. I think that would be really special. Of course I want to win more premiership’s because that’s what we play for and those nights are some of the best nights of your life.  How have you found the change to the Great Southern Cricket Association after Southern disbanded?It was pretty sad when the SCA folded. We held on for as long as we could and in the end the right call was made. Gary Bilney did an amazing job. Great Southern is a really well run competition with some very handy talent. The last six years have been awesome and Noarlunga haven’t looked back, so a big thanks to the Great Southern Cricket Association. The junior competitions are strong and I can’t wait to see some of those youngsters over the next five years. Even some young talent making their debuts in the 'A' grade have showed great signs. The 'A' grade is very strong at the top but it drops off a bit with depth but I think all associations would say the same thing. Additions like Simon Roberts (Willunga) are awesome. Playing against guys like that is unreal for the competition and he's an absolute champion of a bloke, I hope more guys like that come out and play when they can’t commit to grade cricket anymore. The grounds are incredible, absolutely incredible an that’s one thing we all noticed straight away when we crossed from the SCA. We were all like "Wow how good are these grounds lads!". Port Elliot, Goolwa, Encounter Bay and Burgess (Mt Compass) to name a few are excellent. It's even better having Encounter Bay and Burgess with turf wickets. It always makes it feel better playing 'real' cricket. The only thing I can fault in Great Southern is everyone is too nice and everyone is mates on the field. Leave it 'til after the game lads (lol). Southern was so brutal, fantastic but brutal and it was tolerated and accepted and I loved it. Such hard cricket but we all came together and at the end we shook hands, looked each other in the eye and had a beer after the game. The toughness is one thing I really miss. In saying that, the GSCA is getting better.How do you see the future of sport in the Fleurieu region?I think it’s only going to get better, especially with all the effort everyone makes with all the junior programs. Getting all kids involved in sport at an early age is awesome. We had coaching but not like these days. It’s not easy and we wouldn’t be strong like we are if it wasn’t for all those amazing volunteers and workers that make it happen. Sport really is an amazing thing and it brings us all together. 

Below is a statement from Tom Hurley, Head of Community Football SANFL, released yesterday (27/4/20).....We recently provided an update about the work underway to determine a roadmap for a return to community footy.Our intention was to provide a more detailed outline at the end this month, following the release of a roadmap for the return of AFL.Whilst we all want clarity around when the game will return to our fields, this area of work is constantly changing. The announcement by the Prime Minister late last week that the National Cabinet will develop a guiding set of principles for sport at all levels reinforces the extensive work both the AFL and SANFL have been doing to refine our protocols and processes on how and when our seasons will commence.Federal, State and Territory Governments have also indicated the possibility of easing of some restrictions by around mid-May, should the current low trend of transmission continue. In addition, the National Cabinet has indicated that they will review restrictions at a meeting on May 10, provided the curve is still flattening and testing rates are increasing.As a result of these developments and reviews, the timetable we will now work to has been revised.In the week beginning May 11, there will be an announcement from the AFL regarding the elite level with a proposed date for a resumption of training and return to play. An update around timings for a resumption of activity at Community and State League level will be provided once the roadmap for the AFL competition has been announced.Until such time, the current postponement date for training and matches of May 31 remains the same.Pleasingly, the Federal and South Australian Government are well aware that it will be vital for local sport to resume and re-connect support networks that are currently stretched or not operating.We continue to focus on being aligned with the advice of the Government and the relevant medical authorities and are ensuring everything we do protects the health and safety of our participants and wider community.We thank you for your patience and ongoing collaboration as the planning continues to evolve, and we look forward to being able to provide a more robust update to you following the planned announcement regarding the AFL competition in the second week of May.In the meantime, we ask that you continue to support each other and keep footy alive in your households and communities.Take care and stay safe.Kind Regards,Tom HurleyHead of Community FootballSANFL

Ben Warren is one of the most successful sportsmen from the Fleurieu Peninsula in the past 20 years, playing both Cricket and Football with Langhorne Creek. Warren also played 205 games in the SANFL (163 South Adelaide, 42 Norwood), kicking 414 goals. At South Adelaide, he was leading goalkicker on six occasions before ‘retiring’ at the end of the 2010 season due to a recurring hip injury and returned to Langhorne Creek in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL). That move proved fruitful as Warren captained the Hawks to the 'A' grade premiership in 2011, kicking 94 goals.With his hip issue sorted, Ben was recruited by Norwood where he enjoyed great success, playing in the Redlegs' 2012 and 2013 premierships before taking over the reins as coach at the Parade as Norwood completed a hat trick of flags with a thrilling four-point win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in 2014. After his tenure at the Parade ended in 2016, Warren was an assistant coach at Sturt and this year he is back ‘home’ at South Adelaide. There was one more piece of on-field glory for Warren as Langhorne Creek won another GSFL premiership in 2018 with Ben playing alongside brother Nick in another ‘A’ grade flag for the Hawks.Ben has been one of the best players in the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (A&EHCA) over the past 20 years, winning four A&EHCA ‘cricketer of the year’ awards along with an amazing 11 ‘AJ Potts cricketer of the year’ awards at Langhorne Creek. Along the way he has amassed a whopping 8,275 runs and 626 wickets in all competitions since the 1994/95 season. Ben was captain for three seasons from 2005/06 to 2007/08 with the highlight being the 2006/07 premiership win over Wistow. This was a second flag for Warren after earlier success in 2003/04. A third premiership was forthcoming after Langhorne Creek won a thrilling grand final against Hahndorf in 2018/19. Ben’s all-round prowess was a key in the 'Creeks' first flag in 12 years as he scored 541 runs and took 41 wickets.How did you first get involved in Sport? We lived on a dairy farm at Mulgundawa on the eastern side of Langhorne Creek and I started in the mini colts (U/11) in 1988 for the Langhorne Creek Football Club (LCFC) Hawks as a six year old. Dad played over 450 games for the LCFC and my brother Nick and I always followed him to training and games, so it was ingrained in both of us. I can remember having a football in my hands every day when I was a kid. I loved Hawthorn and the Port Adelaide Magpies. I started playing cricket at the start of the 1993/94 season as an 11 year old in the U/13’s. It was a good way to be involved in our small community but I had a great love for both football and cricket from a young age. Who have been the biggest influences on your sporting career? No doubt as a kid it was Dad and my brother. We played backyard football or cricket every day and we watched just as much on the television. Nick and I enjoyed watching Dad play for the Hawks and we played alongside him in the mid/late 90’s with cricket. You are a product of your environment and Dad loved playing, coaching and administrating and we followed suit. I was pretty lucky John Griffen (assistant coach SAFC) pushed hard to get me to South Adelaide at the end of 2000 otherwise I probably would not have gone. It was a bridge too far for myself and family but 'Griff' made it happen with Greg Anderson for which I am very grateful. Later in my career as a player and coach Nathan Bassett, Robbie Neill and David Oatey were great influences and they have become great friends, mentors and sounding boards. What do you enjoy about playing for Langhorne Creek?I still love the club now as much as I did as a kid, I have never grown out of it. It's a small club built on community and good people all chipping in. We are really grateful for the facilities, oval and turf wicket we have. Since I finished football at Norwood the desire to play has waned even though I pushed through around 20 games in 2017 and 2018 to get 100 senior games for the Hawks.I enjoy playing cricket probably more than ever. We have a good group of men that keeps me going and we have fun every week. Matty Tonkin, Nathan Wundersitz, Daniel Cleggett, Benny Mcleod, Troy Blackwell and we added Brodie O’Dea this season (2019/20) and David Mudge still plays when he can. I feel as though I can still improve with cricket, make more runs, win another premiership. We got belted early on in my senior cricket career and that still drives me. What are some of your favourite sporting memories?Football - playing my first A Grade game in 1997 vs Mount Compass was a great thrill. All I ever wanted to do was play for the Hawks. Nick and I were the mascots every week since we could run. We handed the jumpers out to the players and loved being involved. My first league game at South Adelaide was a great time although I probably did not deserve it at the time. The premierships with Norwood were fantastic to be a part of. Bass (Nathan Bassett) built a great team dynamic which was just as enjoyable to be a part of as winning. Coaching in 2014 was as good a feeling as I have ever had. The players were great in 2014 and we looked down the barrel early in the year but they dug deep, never waivered and we had some fun along the way.Cricket - the premiership in 2003/04 was our first in 24 years and our recent success in the T20 format and our premiership last year was good fun. Making my first 100 at Wallaroo in 1997 was a good feeling at the time. Who are some of your toughest opponents (Cricket & Football)?Football - Corey Ah Chee (Port Magpies) was always difficult. He was 6'4 and athletic, never gave you much room. Steven Hall from the WWT Eagles was also difficult, especially when I was young playing key position in the early 2000’s. I was 80kg and not overly physical and they would hold and block you a lot and often at Full Forward, you were often off a standing start out of the goal square!Cricket - Batting early on in my career, I always found Mark Stokes hard to face (Mount Barker CC), he nibbled the two piece beautifully and knocked me over caught behind most times. There was plenty of good fast bowlers throughout the late 90’s and early 2000’s in the AEHCA. Eckermann, Blake, Pfitzner, Leckie and Ben Slack amongst others. I never liked facing Aaron Galvin (Woodside) and Clint Foster (Nairne) were very similiar, both sharp and nipped the ball away and their bowling lifted on you off a length on hard wicket. I could never score runs or work the ball around off them.Bowling - Ben Judd (Wistow), Wayne Willis (Wistow) and Ben Slack (Mount Barker CC) when they were in full flight. I liked to attack the stumps and had a reasonable bouncer, so I could go for a few runs but Juddy was good off the back foot and Ben and Wayne had all the shots and were particularly strong through the leg side, so if you veered onto middle and leg stump, it was four. In the last few years, Kym Heinrich (Wistow & Nairne) and Benny Matthews (Lobethal) are both difficult to bowl too along with Mitch Weeks (Lobethal), who strikes the ball as good as any. I only bowled to Rohan Reid (Meadows) a couple times but he never looked like getting out. You’ve achieved a great deal but are there still any aims left for you to achieve?No individual goals, other than help the Langhorne Creek Cricket Club (LCCC) 'A' grade win week to week and make sure we leave the LCCC better than when we found it. Updating the LCCC history has been a great thrill, helping induct 17 new life members was great for our club in 2019 and we have a few other projects in the background. I would still like to win another premiership. How did you end up back playing Footy at Langhorne Creek in 2011 and then at Norwood in 2012?I hurt my hip in Round 16, 2008 and missed the last five or so games. It was still giving me issues in 2010 which was Ron Fuller’s first year of a five year deal. He had already indicated he wanted new players and with a hip that was giving me a lot of grief and not being able to train properly and barely getting through games, I decided to retire. The bursa in my hip went undetected despite numerous scans and finally came good in April 2011 when I was playing at LCFC. Norwood had asked if I would be interested in joining them in 2011, so when my hip was sorted I was keen to have another go in 2012. What did you find most enjoyable and also most challenging as coach of Norwood?Playing and coaching are completely different so it was a steep learning curve. Winning the premiership was fantastic and great all round achievement by the club, coaches and players in 2014. Working with players who are passionate about their football to be the best they can be was very rewarding and I really enjoyed running the football program.It was always a challenging role, you never really feel settled. In 2015 we lost seven players from our 2014 premiership team and only recruited a handful but the expectation was, we would win four premierships in a row. We played some very good football in 2015 but laboured badly in the back end with injuries to our key players in Alex Georgiou, Callum Bartlett, Mick Newton, Sam Baulderstone, Matt Panos, Simon Phillips, Mat Suckling and Andrew McInnes came across (Carlton) but never played a game but we did blood some kids in Anthony Giannini, Luke Partington, Davin Ferreira, Luke Rander, Harrison Cross, Dylan Auciello, Lachie Peter, Pat Levicki and Peter Bampton got some game time. It was too much for a young group but the expectation from the board was still there to win so I was frustrated because the amount of players we had out and the lack of speed in 2015, meant we were never really going to challenge and we were bundled out in the Elimination Final. My frustrations flowed over into 2016 and the season never got going and I found myself out the door pretty quickly! Do you think you’ll coach again?It would be very unlikely, you never say never but I am not busting down the door to do it again. I have enjoyed being an assistant at Sturt (2017-19) and this year back at South Adelaide (2020). Our children Emmerson and Ashton are 8 and 7 and are enjoying starting their sport, so I would like to support them and still play a bit of cricket whilst I can! My wife Kelly has enjoyed seeing a lot more of me in the last four years with football not really getting in the way! How do you see the future of sport in the Fleurieu region?Really positive. We have seen Victor Harbor and Goolwa get grants and upgrades with their facilities, along with Myponga and Strathalbyn a few years ago. Modern coaching techniques are starting to flow through from AFL and SANFL which is positive for local football to close the gap from football at SANFL & SANFL junior level. Clearly kids have greater opportunities across a variety of activities in the 2000’s but football is still the foundation of a lot of communities. The GSFL is a great competition, one of the better ones outside the SANFL. The opportunities have never been better with the pathway the AFL/SANFL provide through to the top level.With Cricket, the A&EHCA has been great the last 5 years with the introduction of one day cricket. No doubt it was a challenging decision for the A&EHCA to reduce it from two day cricket (which I enjoyed) but for the future of cricket in our area it was great move. T20 cricket still has a bit to go but from a LCCC point of view, we have really enjoyed and embraced it and you can see that in the results by winning 4 of the last 5 T20 cups. 

The Great Southern Cricket Association has come to a decision on awarding premierships for season 2019/20….. GSCA PREMIERS DECISIONThere were three options the GSCA executive considered :a. Declare no premiers as the finals series was incomplete.b. Award the premierships to the minor premiers.c. Award the premierships to the teams which won the qualifying finals.While there are no GSCA rules that exactly cover these circumstances Rule 14.1.a. and b. guides us on drawn/abandoned finals:14. FINALS1. In the event of a drawn or tied final, the team finishing higher at the end of the minor round is declared the winner, except in the case ofa. A tied grand final, where both sides are declared winners.b. An abandoned grand final where the two sides have previously met in that finals series – the winner of that previous match being declared the winner.The GSCA executive has decided to adopt option c and award the 2019-20 premierships to the teams which won the qualifying finals. This is based on Rule 14, where the loser of the qualifying final would be declared the winner of the drawn preliminary final in each grade and the qualifying final winner would be declared the winner of the drawn grand final in each grade.PREMIERS 2019/20A Grade - Willunga CCB Grade - Yankalilla CCC Grade - Rapid Bay & Districts CC1 Day - Pt Elliot CCSenior Colts - Noarlunga CC (Blue)Junior Colts - Encounter Bay CCCRICKETERS OF THE YEARCongratulations to Jason Scarff (Noarlunga CC) and Rilee Endersby (Mt Compass CC) on being awarded the Senior and Junior Cricketers of the Year respectively.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, all community cricket competitions have been cancelled for 2019/20. The Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) had commenced their finals series and will make a decision shortly regarding awarding of premierships. The Hills Cricket Association (HCA) were due to start their finals this week so the decision has been made to award the minor premiers in each grade the premiership.Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) were due to play their Grand Finals this Saturday and have made the decision to award the premiership to the highest ranked teams in the Grand Finals.Hills Cricket Association PremiersA1 - MeadowsA2 - Scott Creek IronbankA3 - KangarillaU/16 - StirlingU/14 - UraidlaAlexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association PremiersA - HahndorfA2 - MacclesfieldB - Langhorne CreekC - StrathalbynU/16 - Nairne MaroonU/14 - Woodside

Below is a letter from Netball SA CEO Bronwyn Klei with the latest update regarding postponement of Netball competitions.....To our Netball SA Members,As you know, the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has presented a number of challenges for our country and the Australian sporting landscape is certainly feeling the effects.With the situation evolving by the hour, we must ensure the health and wellbeing of our entire netball community is at the forefront of any decisions we make.Earlier today, the federal government announced restrictions on indoor mass gatherings exceeding 100 people and outdoor gatherings that exceed 500 people.In light of this advice, Netball SA has recommended our associations postpone the commencement of all regular winter competitions until May 31, with a view that we will continue to monitor the situation.Further to this, we recommend all club training and grading competitions be postponed until two weeks prior to the commencement of the season, provided government advice is adhered to and increased hygiene practices are in place at that time.We advise all coaching, umpiring and bench officials’ accreditation and education be maintained (within current restrictions) with virtual and e-learning options provided where possible.Netball SA is currently reviewing what this means for our programs, competitions and events, with the lens that we need to minimise the impact on our players, staff, members and wider community.Netball Australia yesterday released a statement providing useful information regarding recommended hygiene protocols for our sport.The Netball Australia COVID-19 Taskforce will continue to liaise daily with the Australian Government, World Health Organisation, Sport Australia / AIS and the Chief Medical Officer to ensure they can provide up to date and accurate insights as the advice changes.The federal government released a statement earlier today with updated information on coronavirus measures, including advice specific to community sport.Just like you, we understand the significant impact this unprecedented pandemic is having on our society and the game we love. Thank you for your patience and I will be in contact again once more information comes to hand.We understand this advice will have significant impact on our associations and want to reassure you that Netball SA is here to support you.Please continue to stay safe and look out for each other.Cheers,Bronny

Below is a letter from Netball SA CEO Bronwyn Klei which was released yesterday...To our Netball SA family,As the nature and impact of the coronavirus continues to evolve at a rapid pace, I wanted to touch base with you all about how Netball SA is adapting in such unchartered waters.In my 30 years in the industry, I’ve never seen anything quite like this and, just like you, we are all closely monitoring the situation to help ensure the wellbeing of our netball community.Three months in, 2020 is already looking vastly different to how we imagined and considering how rapidly the situation is changing, it is likely we will have to adapt as the situation continues to evolve.We are working closely with Netball Australia, guided by government advice, to ensure the health of our players, staff and broader netball family are at the forefront of every decision we make.The Adelaide Thunderbirds and Netball SA websites and socials media channels will continue to provide informative content to keep you up to date.As expected, many of you have already contacted us with questions and we will endeavour to respond as promptly as possible, keeping in mind how quickly the situation is changing by the hour.I also wanted to take this opportunity to remind the community that it is recommended players avoid shaking hands at the end of games.Our sport has always upheld strong sportsmanship, but under such unique circumstances, it is okay to display your gratitude verbally.With so much uncertainty about what the future holds, we are currently working through the nature of our upcoming events and will do everything we can to provide you with the latest information as soon as it comes to hand.I want to thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. Your ongoing loyalty and passion is what makes our sport so resilient.Please stay safe and look out for each other.Cheers,Bronny

Fleurieu Peninsula Football competitions have been postponed as community football leagues follow advice from the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Below are statements from the Hills Football League (HFL), Great Southern Football League (GSFL), Southern Football League (SFL) and Kangaroo Island Football League (KIFL) regarding these postponements and changes to fixturing.Hills Football League statementPlease be advised that the SANFL has made a recommendation to Leagues that all Community Football be postponed until after 31 May 2020.The Hills Football League Board strongly supports this SANFL direction in the interest of public safety, and will postpone all HFL matches until Saturday, 13 June 2020 (Saturday after June long weekend).As the COVID-19 situation changes, the HFL will continue to be guided by the direction of the SANFL, AFL, government and public health authorities.Further details and information will be provided by the HFL to affiliated clubs in due course, including a list of frequently asked questions. This will include specific recommendations on club functions and gatherings in the period ahead of the season commencement in June.In closing, the HFL supports the SANFL decision which is in the best interests of all players, coaches, umpires, officials, staff and volunteers at the forefront of community sport. We thank you for your continued patience and support through this challenging period.Great Southern Football League statementFollowing the statement from the SANFL - in regards to Community Football across all Leagues in the State and beyond being postponed until May 31st, including as we stated earlier today, all training, trial games, and Women’s football.The League has decided in light of this to run a 9 game season (Saturdays) – commencing on the 20th of June which would have been Round 10.Every Club will play everybody once in a home and away seriesWe hope that this decision will give clubs an opportunity to train, play trial/s over the first 19 days of June up until the first round.The Women’s/Girls football (Sundays) season will be adjusted to play the last 6 weeks of the season and this should let everybody play everybody else once (including the opening round last weekend) with finals to follow on. This should, at this stage, commence the same weekend.We are still at the mercy of where this thing goes but we need to be aware that this is, of course, the biggest thing to hit Australia in living memory and we all must play our part in holding off the virus from the general population for as long as possible.We thank you for your support and understanding in this matter.As always our concern is with the safety and wellbeing of our players, support staff, club members and supporters. Southern Football League statementBased on the strong recommendations from the AFL, SANFL and Community Football, and the understanding of clubs at last night's meeting, all training and games within the SFL are suspended until May 31st. There will be further communication as information becomes available as this decision will obviously create a number of issues for clubs, but the safety of our members is everyone's number one concern.Kangaroo Island Football League statementWe know that this news will be very disappointing for our footy community - however it can't be helped and we are just as keen as AFL and SANFL in making sure that we do right by the vulnerable in our community. Take the time to build your individual fitness, recover from the fires and to take care of each other and your neighbours. We will scratch out a new plan in the weeks ahead and will be all the more keen for a play after the break! Take care everyone.

Meadows have completed an undefeated season (12-0) in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) with a comfortable eight-wicket victory at Heathfield Oval against Mount Lofty. The home side batted first and posted a competitive 4/132 on a slow outfield. New recruit Aaron Smith (54 not out from 61 balls) was the standout with the bat for the Redcaps and he was supported by skipper Jordan Neis-Beer (25) and Brad Hutton (21). Max Buckley (2/38) was the multiple wicket taker for Meadows. The visitors run chase began in disastrous fashion as Luke Tonkin was removed first ball by Adam Carthew (1/17). Haydn Reid (16) and Rohan Reid then put on an important 48 runs for the second wicket before skipper Brad Dawe (33 not out) combined with Rohan Reid for an unbroken 85-run third wicket stand. Rohan Reid finished with an excellent 76 not out from 118 balls (6 x 4’s) as the Bulldogs completed an undefeated minor round. Meadows will now face Kanagrilla at home in the semi-finals.Aldgate wrapped up second spot with a third consecutive victory after a tight 12-run victory against Stirling. Aldgate batted first on a slow Stirling Oval outfield and posted a moderate total of 5/133 from their 40 overs. The innings was dominated by Frank Clements who came in at 2/51 and made 58 (5 x 4’s, 4 x 6’s). Clements finished the minor round with 467 runs at 77.83 to take out the A1 batting trophy. Clements was well supported by a patient knock of 32 from opener Angas Wauchope. Veteran fast bowler Chris Shaw (3/24) was the pick of the Stirling bowlers. The Eagles run chase began well with Myles Collins (34) and Daniel Gonzalez (31) combining for an opening partnership of 36 before Kosta Sinodinos (18) joined Collins to add 37 for the second wicket. Skipper Jack Pick joined Collins and this pair took the Eagles along to 2/100 before a dramatic collapse of 8/21 saw Stirling bowled out for 121 in the 39th over. Pick was left stranded on 18 not out as five of his teammates failed to trouble the scorers. Matty Hansen was the pick of the Aldgate bowlers as he snared 3/14 (7.2). Hansen finished the minor round with 28 wickets at 12.07 to win the A1 bowling trophy. These two teams will now face off at Aldgate Oval in a rematch of last season’s semi-final.Flagstaff Hill lifted themselves off the bottom of the ladder, leaving Bridgewater with the wooden spoon, after a crushing eight-wicket win over a disappointing Kangarilla outfit. Kangarilla opted to bat first on their home deck and would’ve been confident of posting a good total but it wasn’t to be as they were rolled for a paltry total of just 57. Steve Featherstone (29) was a shining light with the bat as no other batsman reached double figures. Jack Walton (4/13), Kyle Petty (3/3) and Jacob Lemon (2/14) were the chief destroyers for the Falcons. Flagstaff Hill made light work of the run chase finishing on 2/62 after 26 overs. Matt Emes (25) and Will Goulding (21 not out) led the way for the Falcons while Jack Evans took 2/11 (5) for Kangarilla.Semi-Final fixtures (21/3/20 & 22/3/20) (home team named first).....Meadows v KangarillaAldgate v Stirling

Onkaparinga Tennis Association - SeniorPreliminary Final resultMacclesfield 14 - 100 defeated John Wesley 2 - 52Grand Final (21/3/20)Strathalbyn v MacclesfieldGreat Southern Tennis Association - Division 1Preliminary Final resultPort Elliot v The Valleys (Match Abandoned due to COVID-19)

Mount Lofty kept their finals hopes alive after a nail-biting one-run win over Stirling in round 13 action of the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) at Heathfield Oval on Saturday. The game was dominated by the bowlers with no batsman able to make more than 25. The home side batted first and were in deep trouble at 5/25 before Brett Hill (24) and skipper Jordan Neis-Beer (19) added a valuable 39 runs for the sixth wicket. Adam Carthew (15) batted sensibly to help the Redcaps bat out their 40 overs to finish on what appeared an under-par total of 9/96. Four Stirling bowlers took wickets with Jacob Gonzalez taking his best figures of the season with 4/16 from eight overs. His opening bowling partner, Chris Shaw, was the other multiple wicket taker with 2/25 (8). Stirling started their run chase reasonably well as they reached 2/40 with Daniel Gonzalez the standout with 25 from 42 balls (1 x 4’s, 3 x 6’s). Once Gonzalez was dismissed the visitors slipped to 6/59 and Mount Lofty had a ‘sniff’. Skipper Jack Pick was still in and he was joined by Jacob Kemp with this pair adding 19 runs for the seventh wicket before Kemp was dismissed for 10, followed shortly afterwards by Pick for 21 as the Eagles slipped to 9/87, still 10 runs short of victory. With Shaw and Josh Cox at the crease, Stirling edged their way towards victory before Will Healey (2/14) removed Shaw to give the Redcaps an unlikely victory. Aaron Smith (4/20) and Max Hawke (2/12) were the other multiple wicket takers for Mount Lofty.Aldgate consolidated second spot on the HCA ladder with a comfortable eight-wicket win against Flagstaff Hill at Aldgate Oval. The visitors batted first and got off to a good start through Will Goulding and Matt Emes (20) who added 72 for the first wicket. Emes’ dismissal brought about a mini-collapse as the Falcons slipped to 4/94 with Goulding dismissed for a fine 53 from 72 balls (10 x 4’s). It was Goulding’s second half century of the season. This brought Stephen Wheatland (26 not out) and Max Renfrey (46 not out) together and this pair lifted Flagstaff Hill to a competitive total of 4/165 with an unbroken fifth wicket partnership worth 71 runs. Dale Stephens was the pick of the Aldgate bowlers with figures of 3/21 (8). Aldgate started their run chase slowly and when opener Josh Callaghan was dismissed in the 12th over with the score at 1/21, the Falcons were right on top. Callaghan’s dismissal brought Frank Clements to the crease to join Mitch Thomas (19) and this pair added 71 runs for the second wicket before Thomas was run out. Liam Winskill (23 not out) joined Clements to see the home side to victory in the 38th over. Clements finished on 109 not out from just 75 balls (5 x 4’s, 10 x 6’s). It was Clements’ third ‘A’ grade century for Aldgate and continues his fine season where he has scored 409 runs at an average of 81.80.Meadows remains undefeated with one round to go after a three-wicket win at Bridgewater. The home side batted first and they got off to a good start to reach 1/91 after handy contributions from Justin Summerill (33), Luke Hoyle (31) and Jackson Hooper (24). From that point on it was all Meadows as the Raiders lost 9/31 to be bowled out for 122 in the 40th over. Five Meadows bowlers took wickets with Aaron Parry (2/8), Rohan Reid (2/18) and Thomas Bevan-Giles (2/22) leading the way. Despite losing opener Luke Tonkin for a duck, Haydn Reid (36) and Anthony Hughes (26) added 51 for the second to put the visitors in a strong position. Max Buckley made a hard hitting 27 from 29 balls (1 x 4, 2 x 6’s) as the winning runs were knocked off in the 38th over. Hoyle (2/12), Summerill (2/20) and Jackson Hooper (2/33) were the multiple wicket takers for the Raiders.Round 14 (14/3/20) fixtures (home team named first).....Mt Lofty v MeadowsStirling v AldgateFlagstaff Hill v KangarillaBridgewater has the bye

Hahndorf and Strathalbyn have played out a thrilling final round match in Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association action at Hahndorf Oval. In a Qualifying Final preview, Hahndorf won by one wicket after an unbeaten 23-run 10th wicket partnership between Nick Mosey (25 not out) and Caleb Blesing (5 not out) got the Magpies over the line. Earlier after winning the toss and batting, Strathalbyn got themselves into a good position at 1/72 before a collapse of 9/47 saw the Stallions bowled out in the 43rd over for 119. Luke Cousins (47) was the standout with the bat with Mark Abbott (20) the only other batsman to reach 20. Teenager Lachlan Huxtable picked up career-best figures of 5/20 (5.4) with skipper Kris Dawe providing good assistance with 2/17 (9). In a promising sign for the Magpies, Jarrad Tait (1/18), was back for his first game since December. Hahndorf started well in their run chase to reach 1/46 with opener Greg Hassold making 22. A collapse of 8/53 left the Magpies in all sorts of strife at 9/99 before Mosey and Blesing came together for their match winning partnership. Ryan Trafford-Walker also made a valuable contribution of 23 (2 x 6’s). Matt Abbott (3/23), Brayden Gaiter (3/37) and Matt Hein (2/19) were the multiple wicket takers for the Stallions. This trio finished as the top three wicket takers in the competition with 90 scalps between them with Gaiter taking the spoils with 32 wickets at an average of just 11.88.Langhorne Creek will enter the finals looking to defend their title from last season in winning form after a seven-wicket victory over Mount Barker. The Tigers finished fourth and will take on Lobethal on Saturday at Lobethal in the Elimination Final. Mount Barker won the toss and decided to bat first on the Langhorne Creek turf and were dismissed for 112 in the 42nd over. Simon Turk (34), Rhys Paterson (29) and Jackson Lane (12) were the only Kookaburras batsmen to reach double figures with the ‘Burras losing their last eight wickets for 21 runs after being in a good spot at 2/91. Brodie O’Dea continued his good form with 4/11 while Daniel Cleggett took his best figures for the season with 3/18. Despite slipping to 2/12 in reply, the Tigers knocked off the runs in the 20th over with Daniel Kropp (65 not out) making his highest score of the season and O’Dea chipping in with 32. Hayden Lane was the best of the Mount Barker bowlers with figures of 2/23 (6).Lobethal will enter the finals full of confidence after notching yet another win, this time by eight wickets over Bremer-Callington. The Tigers have not lost since 2 November last year! Bremer-Callington batted first and posted a competitive total of 8/165. Arsalan Eubaid was the anchor with 68 from 131 balls and Johnny Fitzgerald added some impetus to the innings with 25 from 23 balls. Cameron Winen (2/16) and Dave Huxter (2/38) were the multiple wicket takers for Lobethal. The Tigers got off to a great start with Ben Matthews (46) and Mitch Weeks (31) adding 69 for the first wicket before Daniel Norsworthy (56 not out) and Lachlan Bates (23 not out) knocked off the runs in just the 28th over. Nairne closed out their season with a 28-run victory over Wistow at Nairne Oval. The home side batted first and made 167 before being bowled out in the 44th over. Sam Rowe (47), Chad Harrop (42 not out) and Mitch Hein (27) were the main contributors for the Razorbacks while Dan Jenner took 4/25 for Wistow. Wistow battled hard in the run chase but ultimately fell short finishing on 9/139 from their 45 overs. Hein backed up his batting with 2/25 from his nine over spell while Jacob Sadler took 2/37 (7).Fixtures for week one of finals are below. There will be two games on Saturday with the Preliminary Final on Sunday. The Grand Final is scheduled for Saturday 21 March.Elimination Final (14/3/20)Lobethal v Langhorne Creek (Lobethal Oval)Qualifying Final (14/3/20)Strathalbyn v Hahndorf (Strathalbyn Oval)Preliminary Final (15/3/20)Loser QF v Winner EF (Venue TBD)

Southern Districts’ Women had a fantastic day with two wins in the penultimate round of SACA Premier Cricket on Sunday. The first grade won their second game in a row with an upset victory over Northern Districts at Bice Oval. The Stingrays won the toss and looked relatively comfortable as they moved along to 1/24 before a collapse of 6/11 left them reeling at 7/35. Sheridan Howell (15) joined Donna Clark (11) in what proved a match winning partnership of 26 runs for the eighth wicket before the home side were eventually bowled out in the 37th over for 81. Sophie Roberts (3/9) and Emily Laird (3/22) were the chief destroyers for Northern Districts. The visitors started their run chase well as Tegan McPharlin (15) and Cate Dunemann (13) put on 23 for the first wicket. From then on though, it was all Southern Districts as Hannah Sampson (4/14) and Kelly Armstrong (3/27) ran through the Jets batting order before Febi Mansell (2/2) finished them off as Northern Districts were bowled out for 67 in the 27th over to hand the Stingrays a 14-run win.The second grade had a comfortable nine-wicket win over Northern Districts at Salisbury Oval to be sitting on top of the ladder with one round remaining. The home side batted first and were bundled out for just 59 with only skipper Nikki Grosser (28) reaching double figures. Caitlin Seccafien (4/7) continued her fine season where she has taken 24 wickets in all competitions. She was well supported by Annabelle Yelland who took 4/9 in just her second game for the Stingrays. Southern Districts had no trouble knocking off the runs in the 16th over with Rachael Greenshields (23 not out) and Jessica Modistach (19 not out) adding 52 runs for the second wicket.

Onkaparinga Tennis Association - SeniorSemi-Final resultsSemi Final #1: Strathalbyn 8 - 75 defeated Macclesfield 8 - 73(Strathalbyn go straight through to the Grand Final on 21/3/20)Semi Final #2: John Wesley 11 - 97 defeated Clarendon 5 - 74(John Wesley move through to the Preliminary Final while Clarendon are eliminated)Preliminary Final (14/3/20)Macclesfield v John WesleyGreat Southern Tennis Association - Division 1Semi-Final resultsSemi Final #1: Goolwa 5 - 6 - 58 defeated Port Elliot 4 - 6 - 50(Goolwa go straight through to the Grand Final on 21/3/20)Semi Final #2: The Valleys 7 - 10 - 80 defeated Victor Harbor 2 - 3 - 48(The Valleys  move through to the Preliminary Final while Victor Harbor are eliminated)Preliminary Final (14/3/20)Port Elliot v The Valleys

Willunga tuned up for the finals with their 11th consecutive victory after a 52-run win over reigning premier Noarlunga during round 12 action in the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA). Willunga had posted a very competitive total of 7/225 on day one and would’ve been confident of defending it but Noarlunga skipper Jason Scarff had other ideas as he notched his sixth century for the Shoes since they moved to the GSCA in 2014/15. Scarff made 101 and at one stage Noarlunga were in a strong position at 4/164 before losing their last 6/9 to be bowled out for 173 in the 64th over. Sean McIvor did the damage for Willunga with his second five-wicket haul for the Demons, taking 6/40 from 19 overs. Willunga will take on Goolwa in the Qualifying Final this weekend with the winner going straight through to the Grand Final. Noarlunga will travel to Rapid Bay to face Port Elliot in the Elimination Final.Port Elliot will enter the finals full of confidence after winning their sixth game from their past seven with a comfortable 120-run win over McLaren Districts. Port Elliot made 7/288 on day one and this proved too much for the Crushers as they were bowled out for 168 in the 62nd over. It looked like it was going to be an early finish as McLaren Districts fell to 5/35 before Stephen Nairn dug in to make 73 to at least make the Bloods work for their victory. Teenager Harrison Grenfell took his best ‘A’ grade figures with 4/25 (12) and he was well supported by Josh Gordge, in his first ‘A’ grade match this season, who took 3/37 (9.3).Goolwa wrapped up second spot after a relatively comfortable five-wicket win over Encounter Bay. Goolwa started day two on 0/29 in pursuit of Encounter Bays’ first innings of just 83. The Magpies stumbled to 5/71 after openers Jesse Le Ray (24) and Luke Giddings (18) had added 45 for the first wicket. Josh Jones (21 not out) steadied the ship as Goolwa knocked off the winning runs in the 40th over. Cam Lintern tried hard for Encounter Bay as he took 3/26 from 17 overs.Mount Compass won their second game for the 2019/20 campaign with a 39-run win against Myponga at Burgess Oval. Myponga resumed day two at 7/41 after dismissing the Bulls for 128 on day one. Michael Mottillo (20) and Zac Wilson (18) battled hard for the visitors to add 36 for the eighth wicket but unfortunately Myponga were eventually bowled out in the 49th over for 89. Robert Martin (4/33), Aaron Dalitz (3/42) and Matt Loots (2/8) were the wicket takers for Mount Compass.Elimination Final (14/3/20 & 15/3/20)Noarlunga v Port Elliot (Rapid Bay)Qualifying Final (14/3/20 & 15/3/20)Willunga v Goolwa (Port Elliot)

The Southern Districts ‘A’ grade has pulled off a remarkable victory as they chased down an improbable Port Adelaide target on day two of round 12 action in the SACA Premier Cricket competition at Port Adelaide Reserve. Set an unlikely 344 for victory, the Stingrays achieved their target from 81 overs with six wickets in hand. The victory was set up by a fantastic 204-run second wicket stand between Josh Barrett and Brendan McCormack. Barrett batted throughout the innings to score a wonderful 182 not out from 237 balls (15 x 4’s, 8 x 6’s), while McCormack played a good support role with 71 (142 balls). Nick Bowen (53) also played a valuable role at the top of the order.In other games the Stingrays second and third grade sides both lost but it was better news for the fourth grade as they defeated Port Adelaide at Adelaide High School by 97 runs with a standout all-round performance from skipper Ben Long who made 125 and took 5/43.

Southern Districts Women’s first grade won their second game for the 2019/20 season with a comfortable 54-run victory over Kensington at Parkinson Oval. The Stingrays won the toss and decided to bat first but were in early trouble at 5/78. Enter Kylie Rattray who played a game changing innings of 73 (63 balls). Rattray was supported by Ella Wilson (25) in a 49-run sixth wicket stand and then by Sheridan Howell (16) in an eighth wicket partnership worth 58 runs as the Stingrays posted a very competitive total of 200, their highest score of the season. Shae Daly (4/44), Katelyn Pope (3/39) and Sarah Lowe (2/28) were the multiple wicket takers for Kensington. The Stingrays started well as Selina Solman (1/9) removed the dangerous Bridget Patterson early to leave the Browns at 1/8. Eliza Doddridge (34) and Rachel Church (19) then combined for an important 55-run partnership for the second wicket but when this duo was dismissed, regular wickets fell with only Daly (29) providing any real resistance as the home side was bowled out for 143 in the 47th over. Hannah Sampson bowled an amazing spell to take 3/6 from 10 overs! She was well supported by Keely Stone (2/16). The win keeps the Stingrays’ slim finals hopes alive with two rounds remaining.The second grade had a bye and currently sit in second spot with a finals spot assured as they go for back-to-back flags. Next round the first grade take on Northern Districts at Bice Oval while the second grade head to Salisbury Oval for a top-of-the-table clash also against Northern Districts.

Strathalbyn has wrapped up the minor premiership after a thrilling one-wicket win over Woodside at Strathalbyn Oval during round 17 action in the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA). Woodside batted first and struggled throughout their innings before being bowled out in the 41st over for 135. Dave Wescombe was the only shining light for the Warriors as he made 66 (72 balls). Wescombe has had another excellent season with 557 runs at an average of 46.42. Five Strathalbyn bowlers took wickets with Brayden Gaiter the chief destroyer taking 4/23 (7). Gaiter now has 29 wickets for the season to sit alongside teammate Matt Hein at the top of the AEHCA wicket taker list. The Stallions struggled in the run chase with Luke Cousins the only top six batsman to reach double figures as he notched his second half century of the campaign with a fine innings of 56 (69 balls). His dismissal with the score at 5/83 left the home side in danger of a shock loss but Ben Cousins (24 not out) was digging in as he looked to bring the Stallions home. When the ninth wicket fell with scores level, Hein made his way to the crease to hit the winning runs with a ball to spare. The loss put paid to Woodside’s slim finals hopes while Strathalbyn will face Hahndorf in the final round in what is a possible semi-final preview.Lobethal continued their brilliant form with a comprehensive 72-run win over Wistow at Lobethal Oval. The Tigers batted first and were led by skipper Ben Matthews who brought up his fourth ‘A’ grade century with an unbeaten 101 (151 balls). Matthews was involved in an 87-run second wicket partnership with Daniel Norsworthy (40) which set the home side up to post 6/205 from their 45 overs. Wistow were never in the hunt during the run chase as they were bowled out for 133 in the 39th over. Matt Jenkin destroyed the Echidnas batting lineup with career best figures of 6/21 (5.1). Lobethal sit third going into the last round and will need to win and hope Hahndorf lose to Strathalbyn to grab the all important second spot and the double chance.Nairne won their sixth game of the season with a tough 23-run win at Mount Barker. Nairne batted first and it was a solid effort all round with Robert Crook again leading the way with 51 (4 x 4’s, 1 x 6). He was supported by Chad Harrop (29), Mitch Hein (26) and skipper Luke Timmins (26) as the Razorbacks posted a competitive total of 197. Hayden Lane (4/37) and Craig Paech (4/46) led the way with the ball for the Kookaburras. Mount Barker lost both openers and were in early trouble at 2/33 before returning skipper Rhys Paterson (48) and Simon Turk (46) added 89 runs for the third wicket to put the home side in a strong position at 2/122. However once Paterson and Turk were dismissed, there was a steady flow of wickets with the innings finishing on 8/174. Sam Rowe (4/46) took his best figures of the season while Jacob Sadler (2/47) was the other multiple wicket taker.Hahndorf consolidated second spot on the AEHCA ladder with a five-wicket win over Langhorne Creek in the Grand Final rematch at Langhorne Creek Oval. The home side batted first and were always under pressure from a tight Magpies attack. Brodie O’Dea (35), Shannon Jones (33) and Nathan Wundersitz (21) all got starts but no Tigers batsman went on to make the big score required as they were bowled out for 150 in the 44th over. Caleb Blesing continued his good recent form to take 3/24 (9) and skipper Kris Dawe provided great support with 3/33 (8.5). Hahndorf were aggressive in their run chase as veteran Andrew Baker (72) made his third half century of the season. Baker was involved in a 76-run second wicket stand with Graydon Brand (37) which set up the win as the runs were knocked off in the 32nd over. Troy Blackwell (2/28) battled hard for the Tigers with the ball. Despite the loss, Langhorne Creek will play finals and enter the major round in fourth spot, the same position they won the flag from last season.Round 18 (7/3/20) fixtures (home side named first)…..Hahndorf v StrathalbynLanghorne Creek v Mount BarkerNairne v WistowLobethal v Bremer-CallingtonWoodside has the bye