Canberra's lockdown has hit just weeks before the city's winter sporting leagues are set to begin their respective finals' series.
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Sporting administrators across the ACT have spent the past 48 hours attempting to salvage each competition, while trying to develop contingency plans should the lockdown extend beyond Thursday of next week.
The inevitable loss of fixtures is set to rob several clubs across multiple leagues a chance to secure a last-ditch finals spot. Here's how it all stands in mid-August.
Rugby union
The Queanbeyan Whites loom as the club with the most to lose in the John I Dent Cup.
Sam French's side has put together a late-season charge, and last weekend's win over Wests has left them just a point outside the top four with a round to play.
Local rugby officials are hoping to use the pre-finals bye week to replay the final-round fixtures, but that would depend on the lockdown lifting on time. If not, Queanbeyan would fall just short.
In the women's competition, the Whites are clearly last with Uni-Norths, Royals, Tuggeranong and Goulburn having already secured a playoff spot.
Rugby league
Canberra's snap lockdown came just two days before the sport was set to celebrate Women in League round.
The Canberra Region Rugby League has cancelled all matches in junior and senior footy this weekend, and will hold an emergency committee meeting on Monday to determine their next move.
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With three rounds of senior competition to play, the Tuggeranong Bushrangers and UC Stars are chasing the fourth finals position in the Katrina Fanning Shield.
In the men's Canberra Raiders Cup, fourth-placed West Belconnen holds a three-point advantage of the next-best Goulburn City Bulldogs.
Gungahlin, and the Queanbeyan Blues and Kangaroos have wrapped up their finals spots.
Aussie rules
Neither top-grade competition should be too badly affected by the lockdown, with the top four spots already locked in.
As has been the case for the last few seasons, Queanbeyan, Belconnen, Eastlake and Ainslie will play finals in the men's league, with the Tigers likely to finish on top.
The same four clubs are ruling the roost in the women's competition, although it's Ainslie sitting out in front having won all but two matches this season.
Soccer
Four rounds still remain in the men's and women's Premier League competitions, and several finals spots are up for grabs.
Tigers and Canberra Croatia sit as a clear top two in the men's competition. Gungahlin and the Monaro Panthers sit third and fourth, but Belconnen is just a point adrift in fifth spot.
The lockdown effectively confirms winless Tuggeranong's relegation from the top flight. They were already 11 adrift of second-from-bottom Canberra Olympic, and would have needed to win all four of their remaining fixtures.
Croatia and Belconnen have spaced the rest in the women's competition, while Gungahlin, Canberra United, Canberra Olympic and West Canberra are all fighting it out for third and fourth.
Hockey
St Patrick's were the only side capable of mounting a late-season finals run in the men's top grade with three rounds to play, but that flame has now been extinguished after Hockey ACT opted to cancel all matches this weekend.
It means Wests, Central, United and Goulburn will finish in the top four.
The lockdown looks to have also robbed ANU a chance of defending its women's top-grade title with the premiers six points adrift of fourth spot. St Pat's, Old Canberrans, Goulburn and Tuggeranong makae up the top four.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
