ONE by one, the players turn up ahead of training as they normally would.
But instead of heading to the changerooms, they line up and wait at a table.
Their names get ticked off and then they are asked if they have been sick in the last three days.
They then get their temperature checked. If it’s under 37.5 degrees, the player is ticked off to train.
If it is above, they are retested a couple of minutes later. If it’s still too high, they aren’t allowed to train and have to go home.
It's also recommended they see their doctors.
All players have to use hand sanitiser before moving on to train, while masks are available if they are wanted.
This will be repeated before every training session.
This is the new norm at Airport West Football Club.
All clubs across the state have been set a number of procedures they have to carry out before training, but the Eagles are taking it upon themselves to go one step further by taking temperatures.
Eagles’ women’s team manager Graeme Marr is the driving force behind the Eagles training routine and is one of the club’s COVID-19 officers.
Marr, who has held a number of roles at the club in the past 20 years and is a life member, said they wanted to be leaders in ensuring the health and safety of their players.
“I started to drive this, because of my health and the elderly people,” he said.
“The committee has been great in getting it up and running.
“Having suffered heart attacks and having just had radiation to beat cancer last year, it’s important for me.
“We have a lot of elderly people. All the clubs need the old clubbers at the club and it’s most important to make them feel safe, because that will bring them back to the club where they have spent a lifetime.
“We want to get football back, but we have to make it safe.”
Marr said there had been some mixed reactions early on, but everyone has got behind the processes.
The club has started this with the men’s, women’s and super rules teams, with the junior players to also go through the same process when they resume training.
Those looking after the testing are there an hour and a half before training to set up and be ready.
In that time, all the balls are sanitised as well.
Marr said he would love to see the other clubs look to do the same thing and take temperatures before every session.
Once the testing is over, the players get ready to take to the training field.
There are no changerooms open, so most players are already dressed when they arrive.
They have to strap themselves, with no trainers on hand.
The playing group is split up into different time slots. Those on the sidelines make sure there’s just 20 players and coaches on the field.
There’s no tackling or contact, with players having to remain 1.5 metres apart.
It’s no normal training session.
Marr said the players were keen to get back training and ultimately back to playing.
It’s also the first year the club has had a senior women’s side.
“The boys are absolutely rapt to get out there as everybody has been in limbo,” Marr said.
“We’ve got a lot of guys in our senior side that have played here since juniors, they are just eager.
“Our girls, they are eager to go. They’ve been doing their own fitness throughout.
“Now once they get back on the field, they can get the ball skills to go with their fitness.”
