What began as a simple documentation of country footy soon grew into a tale of triumph and adversity, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to envelope Finley, Australia, and the world.
“We’d been talking about doing a series on country footy and in 2019 we thought we would have a crack. Then COVID hit and it pivoted the whole story, and it became something totally different to what we thought it would be,” Melbourne-based Moore said.
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The documentary will depict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural footy and the triumphant return to form that was Good Friday’s match between Finley and Deniliquin.
“We really made an effort to show everybody coming back to footy. That’s the big triumphant moment in the film,” Moore said.
Though small in scope, The Lost Season tells a bigger story, one of connections, family and the consequences of moving on.
“Country footy clubs bring people together, they’re about making connections and being part of a community,” Finley coach and leading man Doyle said.
Doyle, who has been playing with the Cats since he was 12, said the connections and community were no more or less important because of the pandemic.
“It’s important every year, not just because we lost that season.”
Though nervous about filming, and the upcoming debut, Doyle said this was offset by the fact its producers are close mates.
“It was certainly something different — I’ve never been the subject of a documentary before,” he said.
“I just hope they cut out all the swearing.”
The Lost Season will be premiering on Saturday, July 31 at 6.30pm and 8pm, with 100 tickets available for each session.
All proceeds will be donated to Finley Football Netball Club. Ticket links are available via the Back Pocket Films Facebook page: @BackpocketFilms
“There’s a good chance if you live in Finley, you’ll know at least one person in the doco,” Doyle said.
He encouraged the community to rally around the documentary and all the work that went into it.
- John Thompson
10°C