Barking Owls set to be awarded women’s A-grade title after COVID forces Sonics Blue to forfeit grand final

A number of Albany Basketball Association grand finals have not been played as teams affected by COVID have been forced to forfeit this week. The women’s A-grade grand final, set down for Tuesday night, was not played after Sonics Blue did not have enough qualified players to take to the court. Sonics Blue had to forfeit the decider and as a result the women’s A-grade premiership will be awarded to the Barking Owls. That decision will be ratified after the last of the senior grand finals on Friday night but the ABA will not replay any of the grand finals that couldn’t be played this week. The rise in COVID cases numbers in the Great Southern forced the ABA to bring forward their grand finals, cutting the finals series short. ABA president Rob Whalley said this was an unfortunate outcome but in the circumstances there is no way to reschedule the games. “It is a real shame but we are in an unfortunate situation with COIVD. ,” he said. “The women’s A-grade game was unable to be played due to COVID and there has been quite a few other forfeits as well.” Two grand finals on Monday night were called off due to a team forfeiting and there was expected to be more on Wednesday to go with the women’s A-grade. Whalley said the ABA had done everything they could to get the grand finals completed before further complications arose because of the virus. The ABA live streamed some of the grand finals on facebook given the spectator restrictions.