With the AWFA split across the Victorian and NSW border, differing restrictions - as well as timelines for their respective easing - are complicating the matter.
The northern state announced a July 1 restart for all community sport would be allowed, while Victoria's timeline has given under-18 competitions the green light from June 22, but over-18 contact training (July 13) and matches (July 20) would still be on the banned list when the AWFA is hoping to return.
“Because we have six clubs affiliated with Football Victoria and the rest affiliated with Football NSW we've sort of got to wait for both to be aligned,” Roar president Manny Artavilla said.
“NSW is allowed to start from July 1 and the AWFA has announced its start date, but we're not sure where we stand with the different restrictions or crowds.
“So we've got a date but we're not sure what it will look like.”
One idea floated has been to play the initial matches of the restart in NSW before returning the favour with Victorian home games later on.
But Artavilla is unsure that would work.
“That comes back to us being affiliated with FV,” he said.
“Even if we played in NSW we'd be going against the FV guideline so I'm not sure that would be allowed.
“It's a bit like the situation with training where our restrictions lifted first but we waited for the NSW ones to ease too before we started to keep it even for everyone.”
Despite the complications, Artavilla is happy to have something for his club to look forward to after it recently returned to training.
“The first thing is that there's a light at the end of the tunnel for everyone,” he said.
“I've managed to get out to training and I couldn't be prouder as president of how the coaches and players have handled themselves in terms of the restrictions like sanitising the balls, keeping their distance and non-contact drills.
“The parents have been really great too in helping us achieve our goal of get in, train and get out.”
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