The AFL is again scrambling to keep its season on track as Victorians prepared to enter a seven-day circuit-breaker lockdown in response to the growing Covid-19 cluster.
Victorian health officials announced on Thursday 11 new cases, taking the total number in the recent outbreak to 26 and throwing the AFL’s plans into chaos.
The state’s acting premier, James Merlino, confirmed approved sporting events would go ahead this week, but without crowds.
Richmond’s match against Adelaide – originally scheduled to be played at the MCG on Sunday – has been moved to Sydney’s Giants Stadium following the closure of South Australia’s border with Victoria.
And Gold Coast’s game with Hawthorn on Saturday has been shifted from Darwin to the SCG due to quarantine requirements in the Northern Territory. Both games will be ticketed.
The Hawks were one of three Melbourne teams with interstate matches this week who made plans to leave the city earlier than scheduled to avoid getting trapped by a lockdown. Essendon and Carlton managed to escape on Wednesday, but Hawthorn were unable to fly to the Northern Territory on Thursday.
AFL CEO Gil McLachlan said the changes were necessary to ensure the league dealt with the evolving situation in the best possible way.
“2021 really is the second season of Covid, and we have continued to operate with the same mindset as 2020,” McLachlan said. “Our team is well prepared and well organised. Our clubs and our players are continuing to be open-minded and agile, and importantly we continue to anchor all our decision making off the advice of the government and health officials.”
Melbourne’s top-of-the-table clash with the Western Bulldogs is one of three games in the state capital that will go ahead in empty stadiums over the weekend, despite an unnamed Demons player having attended a Covid-19 exposure site.
All of the Melbourne’s players and staff were tested on Thursday and will isolate until the match at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
“It is expected that players and staff will be cleared in time for tomorrow night’s clash with the Bulldogs, pending negative test results,” a Melbourne club statement read. “Regardless of his test result, the player present at the tier one exposure site will undertake the 14-day mandatory isolation.”
All 10 Victorian clubs were on Wednesday ordered into an AFL-imposed lockdown and were told they face restrictions for at least the next seven days, with players and staff asked to leave only for playing, training and essential other reasons.
It comes after two venues – the MCG and Marvel Stadium – were visited on Sunday by people who later tested positive for the coronavirus.
Given the volume of clubs based in Melbourne, the AFL is the league most affected by the new measures. The NRL remains relatively unaffected with the Storm already in camp on the Gold Coast and intending to extend their stay in Queensland beyond Thursday night’s game in Brisbane.
But the NRL was expected to make a call on the opening State of Origin game, scheduled to take place at the MCG on 9 June. Peter V’landys said the league would consult with biosecurity experts before making a decision, with Canberra, Perth and Adelaide shaping up as alternative venue options.
Queensland also put up its hand to host the opener after state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was in talks with the NRL over a possible switch to either Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane or Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
Super Netball club Melbourne Vixens also left the state earlier than planned due to the outbreak, bringing forward their departure to Queensland from Friday to Wednesday.
The Collingwood Magpies were due to travel to Sydney on Thursday, two days earlier than expected, while the Sydney-based Giants – who had been in Melbourne last weekend – flew to Perth in the morning.
Western United’s A-League clash with Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park will be played behind closed doors, while Melbourne City’s match against Newcastle Jets at AAMI Park on Saturday has been postponed.
A decision on a second Western United game – against Macarthur on Monday night, also at AAMI Park – will be made in the next 48 hours.
And a group of 27 Olympic and Paralympic hopeful swimmers and coaches have moved from Melbourne to the Gold Coast so as not to jeopardise their participation at the selection trials for the Tokyo Games, to be held in Adelaide in June.
