Group 20 reserves and ProTen Cup sides head to Rankins Springs for knockout

Yenda, Narrandera, Black and Whites, Yanco and Darlington Point Coleambally will join Rankins Springs in the six-side knockout at the Rankins Springs Sportsground.

Organiser Jamie Parsons proposed the idea to help the reserve grade and tier two (ProTen Cup) players a chance to warm-up for their respective seasons.

"It was also a chance for players to have a run around before the season starts with the season still being a month away or so," he said.

"A lot of the trial games and preseason are for first graders. It's just a chance for an everyday bloke to get out on the footy field.

"It's very exciting. It has been 18 months since our last game, so hoping everyone else is just as excited as we are."

The Dragons last game was the ProTen Cup preliminary final, and Parsons said his side are keen to finally get back out the field.

"Training for us (Rankins Springs), our numbers have been looking pretty good, and all of the boys seem pretty keen to get back into it," he said.

"We kept training until August last year in the hope of getting a game, but it never eventuated, so we have had about a 15 month preseason.

"I think everyone is pretty keen to get back into it and stop running laps."

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After what was a tough year for the smaller communities like Rankins Springs, Parsons is hoping the return of football will provide a huge benefit.

"It was brilliant when it (ProTen Cup/Group 17) all got back together in 2018," he said.

"It was very good for our businesses and all of the people out here, including the single blokes and men on farms who don't get much social activity.

"It has been a real hard year in a lot of our communities, so hopefully, we can get it all back together."

The Group 20 season will get underway on May 1, while the ProTen Cup season will start with the knockout, which will be hosted by Narrandera on May 8.

Draw

1pm - Rankins Springs v DPC

1.30pm - Narrandera v Black & Whites

2pm - Yenda v Yanco

2.40pm - Narrandera v DPC

3.10pm - Rankins Springs v Yanco

3.40pm - Black & Whites v Yenda

4.20pm - DPC v Yanco

4.50pm - Yenda v Narrandera

5.20pm - Rankins Springs v Black & Whites

6.15pm - Semi-Final 1 (1st A v 2nd B)

6.45pm - Semi-Final 2 (1st B v 2nd A), 7.30pm - Final

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