ISOLATION IS A LABOUR OF LOVE FOR NEW PARENTS
JARROD Witts was going to be holding a football on the other side of the country next week but will have a newborn baby in his arms instead.
The co-captain of the Suns AFL team and his partner Renee Nourse will welcome their first child to the world on Monday.
It will provide a welcome distraction during a tough period, with the isolation caused by the COVID-19 crisis providing the perfect chance for the couple, who are unaware of the gender of the baby, to spend quality time with the newborn.
Gold Coast were scheduled to play Sydney at Metricon Stadium this Sunday before flying to Perth on Thursday for a Round 4 game against Fremantle before the AFL season was suspended.
Witts, 27, was yet to decide if he would have played next week but he now knows exactly where he will be: at his Miami home with his expanded family.
“That is the silver lining in this whole thing,” Witts said.
“It’s a real blessing I can stay home. I was going to cross that bridge of playing or not when we got to it but thankfully the decision was taken out of my hands.
“Being able to spend that initial period at home is what I’m looking forward to the most.”
The pressure is usually on Witts to perform on field but lately it’s come from the need to ensure he is healthy so he can be by Nourse’s side during the delivery.
Witts is the oldest of three siblings and expressed his desire to become a father early in life and provide the same quality of childhood they had in Sydney.
“I always wanted to be a young dad. Seeing guys who have come before me in a footy sense having their kids run around in the change rooms after games and having them at training during the year it seems like a cool experience for a young kid,” Witts said.
“To have that opportunity, we are really ready for it. It’s something I can’t wait for it.”
Unfortunately both Witts and Nourse’s family are stuck in Sydney for the time being and visitors will be restricted early but the Suns ruckman said it was a small price to pay for now.