Everyone at the ACT Brumbies wanted this season to be about more than winning games or scoring tries. We wanted to make Canberrans and rugby fans smile. We wanted to give them a reason to forget about the off-field drama in the sport we love. We wanted to give them a break from the bush fires and the toxic smoke.

The reasons might have changed, but hopefully our return to Canberra Stadium on Saturday night is chance to escape the coronavirus concerns we're all dealing with.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and that's certainly how I feel about getting back on to the field for the game game against the Rebels. It's also probably the same reason my wife Amy is happy to see me out of the house tonight after having to put up with me through isolation.

Rugby has consumed my life since I left school, so to have it snatched away and not knowing when, or if, it would restart this year was a strange time. Everyone in the squad felt the same.

I still remember the bizarre feeling of packing weights into the car not knowing when we would be back at Brumbies HQ. The coaches split us into groups of five to train with the teammates you live closest to.

Not long after those groups were reduced to three. Then two. Then solo. But knowing we were in it together kept us motivated, even if we weren't able to see each other.

I joined Locky McCaffrey, Allan Alaalatoa, James Slipper and Tevita Kuridrani to form the "inner south" crew. It gives you a chance to watch those guys closely and realise what makes them great. You also learn what makes them tick, and realise how much they missed their interstate families.

Without wanting to ignite a south v north Canberra debate, needless to say everyone on our side of Lake Burley Griffin came back much fitter than the northerners. Although, Locky and Allan did leave us during the break to set up a farm at Wallaroo. Allan might be the skipper on the field, but Locky's the one barking orders about feeding the cows and mowing the lawns when they get home.

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What kept the squad connected despite the distance was the feeling of something special building in Canberra. On the field we felt like we were starting to play some good rugby, winning five of our first six games before the season stopped.

But perhaps more importantly we felt we were starting to rebuild that Canberra connection. We were playing a style of rugby that resonated with fans and we hoped our determination to re-engage with the community was helping convince them to join us on this journey.

We know we're starting from scratch on Saturday night in more ways than one. The competition restarts with everyone back to zero on the ladder. But it hasn't changed our mission to give you something to smile about.