THE 2020 AFL Canberra competition was lining up to be a massive one for the Batemans Bay Seahawks.
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Their senior men's team were looking to build on a preliminary finals appearance in AFL Canberra's third division.
While their women, who are just in their second season, were all set to go one further than their second-place finish in the 2019 UNSW Canberra Community competition.
But none of that has been possible due to the coronavirus pandemic - which saw their 2020 campaigns postponed until July 18.
Then in round one, the women's and men's games against ANU Griffins at Hanging Rock Oval - which was also the original site for COVID-19 testing in Batemans Bay - were called off on the morning of the games due to COVID concerns.
The Seahawks then had a bye in round two before back-to-back forfeit wins against Woden and Ainslie, who both decided not to travel to Batemans Bay due to the recent COVID-19 breakout - with the latter marking the 100th senior games for both Michael Kenny (senior coach) and Josh Visser.
This means the club hasn't played a competitive match of Australian Football in 2020 - not including a nines tournament and trial match against Bomaderry, through the first four rounds of an amended nine-round competition.
Next up for the club was supposed to be a home game against Belconnen on Saturday, August 15.
But the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in the Eurobodalla area - involving confirmed cases at Batemans Bay Public School and Batemans Bay High School - has seen the weekend's matches forfeited by the Magpies.
So where does it leave the 2020 season of the Seahawks and their players?
"We haven't given up on the season and everyone at the club is remaining positive," Seahawks president Heath Petterwood said.
"While there is still life, there is hope.
"Even though teams, unfortunately, declined to come to Batemans Bay, as numerous players felt uncomfortable playing here, we offered to take our home games to Canberra just to get a game of footy.
"Starting in round six, we have a run of away games, so hopefully the Canberra clubs approach is different when we are the ones doing the travelling."
If things don't change, the Seahawks could qualify for finals on the back of purely just forfeit wins.
"As long as we keep producing a team, clubs have the decision if they want to play us or not," Petterwood said.
"If it continues, we will finish in the top-two on the back of just forfeits - which will be quite weird but out of our control.
"It will be interesting to see if clubs' stance on the matter differs when its finals time."
Making the situation more complicated, each Wednesday players from up and down the coast, as well as inland, travel to Hanging Rock for GWS Giants Academy training.
"If juniors are prepared to travel here, it makes me wonder what the motivation is for the senior players," Petterwood said.
But the club's juniors, who have already had AFL South Coast matches cancelled against Bomaderry on July 19 cancelled, might be looking at more time on the sidelines due to the outbreak at two Batemans Bay schools.
"We have numerous junior players at both schools, so we will see how the numbers are looking on Thursday," Petterwood, who highlighted how helpful AFLSC's Matt Graham and Tim Martin have been, said.
While firmly concentrating on the 2020 season, Petterwood, who took over from Arlo Ireland this season as club president, is confident this "extremely tough year" - which included the summer bushfires - won't impact the club's long-term sustainability.
"Obviously our club's income has been decimated with everything that's happened and not being able to bring in funds through avenues like canteen," Petterwood said.
"It does leave us in a precarious situation.
"But with the help of financial support of Gungahlin (a first grade club the Seahawks have a bond with), we are a little better off.
"As fantastic as the Jets' gesture was, it was extremely disappointing to not receive any support by teams in our own division in Canberra."
If the situation doesn't fix itself over the coming weeks, Seahawks players may be forced elsewhere to just play a game of footy.
"Carrying on from the stance Arlo had, we at the Seahawks are never going to stand in the way of anyone playing footy," Petterwood said.
"The benefits, including in mental health, outweigh the financial and future needs of the club.
"I know the AFL has been extremely flexible with player permits and transfers this season (with the deadline being July 31) and for that, they deserve to be commended.
"We've had as many as eight women play numerous games on a permit for Pambula this season, while numerous of our men have been allowed to play for Gungahlin without a permit (through a previous arrangement between the clubs).
"The only downside for those permit players is they don't qualify for finals, which would be disappointing for those players - especially if we can't provide them with a game of footy at our club."