The Greatest Victory of All?
By Kayla Voss

It’s the premiership season no one could predict. 2020 is the year of hardships, challenges, the unexpected and disappointments for all of us. It’s the year everything was put on hold, including the 2020 AFL premiership season. However, in the face of hardships one must persevere; AFL staff and players understand that more than anyone. 

For the first time in AFL history, no fans graced their beloved teams with their booming presence, round six became a historic round as every AFL team played away from their home ground, and Victoria – the home of AFL – is officially a no play zone. 2020 is the premiership season that cannot be replicated.

It truly is one of a kind. It only makes sense that the winners will finish in a league of their very own. 

Some believe the season should have been forfeited or that the winner will be the least deserving in history. There are some points I suppose: less games to play and more time to prepare in the off-season. The argument, however, is weak. The premiership team of 2020 will be the team who persevered despite hit after hit.

The team who took the AFL hubs in stride, rather than announcing them as inconvenient and unfair. The team who embraced the rule changes and adapted their preparation and training accordingly. Most of all, it will be the team who ignited a positive and uplifting environment for players and coaching staff.  

Of course these points are relevant in any season, but the nature of the home and away season this year calls for extra appreciation of teamwork and bonding. In any other season, coaches and players use the time with their families or friends to unwind and escape the pressure of ‘clubland’.

However, as teams are put into AFL hubs, players are forced to create different approaches to take their mind off the game. While some of these points may seem small and unimportant, I can guarantee you it is exactly the small things that make all the difference. 

At the moment, the ladder is an accurate reflection of the teams who have taken these changes in stride. Well, at least from an outside’s perspective. I certainly understand the frustration with false assumptions from the public, but results and team performance do reveal plenty. We still have not reached the halfway point of the 2020 season, so there is time for teams to adapt and improve.

But, adapt they must. Every team this year will hit a point, or a few, where they struggle to keep up with the rules, the positive energy and the unknown of each round. Simply, the 2020 premiership team will be the one who faces these challenges and overcomes them together, as a team, rather than individuals.

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