In recent weeks, it's been impossible to miss the leaves turning, the air becoming brisker and dew appearing on early-morning lawns and windscreens.

That's generally as sure-fire a sign as you'll need in this part of the world that football, netball, soccer and rugby league, just to name a few, are what consumes our thinking during the week and occupies our time on the weekends.

But as we edge towards the start of May, for the first time in most of our lives, we're still on the sidelines as we wait for news on when our much-loved winter sports seasons will go ahead, if they do at all.

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The "vibe" around sports resuming in recent weeks has become much more positive but it seems certain that the 2020 season will be unlike any other we've seen before.

The back page of Tuesday's Border Mail reveals the radical plan floated by Hume league officials, the Albury-Wodonga Football Association has already discussed the idea of splitting its competition into pools and the Ovens and Murray season could consist of just 10 home and away matches.

And if all that's not bizarre enough, in a positive sign that this year is a whole new ball game, the Melbourne Storm could prepare for its NRL campaign with a shortened pre-season in Albury or Mulwala.

Of course, the health and safety of our communities has to be paramount when it comes to the resumption of sport. There is no doubt sport has a huge role to play in maintaining good mental health, but it can't come at the expense of the physical health and wellbeing of our communities, especially those most vulnerable.

While the curve is flattening, and Albury-Wodonga's COVID-19 cases have dwindled almost to zero, it's still too early to begin living like we're out of the woods.

We owe it to ourselves, each other, and our entire Border community to stay patient, and accept that this crisis will one day be over. In the meantime, we can enjoy our region in all its autumnal glory, the best place on earth to conduct a pre-season in isolation.