THE long wait for the Golden City Netball Association's junior players to return to the court is almost over, with a return date for the competition now locked in.
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The GCNA has announced Saturday, July 11, as the launch of its 2020 season for its junior players.
The GCNA starting date follows the release last week of Netball Victoria's Return To Play Protocols.
The association will run a 12-week competition through to September 26, followed by knockout 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 semi-finals on October 3 and culminating in grand finals on October 10.
Despite the long layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 12-week regular season is only three weeks shorter than the usual 15 weeks given there will be no breaks for school holidays and public holidays.
GCNA junior divisions feature Grade Three Clinic, 11-under, 13-under, 14-under and 17-under, as well as the introductory NetSetGO program.
NetSetGO, which is already booked out, will get under way on Saturday, August 1.
The GCNA is still awaiting more information from Netball Victoria on the resumption of senior sport before it can announce a start date for its open division.
The association hopes to be able to start its open division in late July.
"Now that we've got the go-ahead to start our junior competitions, we're going to be heavily promoting the guidelines from Netball Victoria to all our teams to make sure that everyone is across them," GCNA president Rachel Thomsen said on Sunday.
"It's great we will be able to soon get back on court. We understand there may be some people who are still apprehensive and that's OK, but as an association we are focused on making sure we offer a terrific return-to-play experience that is safe for everybody."
The Netball Victoria protocols state there will be only a maximum of one parent/guardian permitted per child at games and that players should arrive dressed and ready to play.
While the GCNA's focus is getting its Saturday junior and open competitions back up and running, it has also looked ahead to its Wednesday night Twilight competition and earmarked October 14 as a potential start date. For more information on the GCNA's return, visit the club's Facebook Page or website.
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