Australia’s professional sports leagues have once again been forced to think on their feet after Queensland declared Sydney a Covid-19 hotspot and closed its border to its residents.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Wednesday that no one from greater Sydney would be allowed into the state from 1am on Saturday, prompting hastily-rearranged travel plans for AFL and Super Netball teams.
The new restrictions will force the Swans and Giants, who will square off in their cross-city AFL derby at Perth’s Optus Stadium on 13 August, to alter a range of plans. GWS will now fly out on Thursday – for Sunday’s clash with Gold Coast – with the Swans expected to also depart NSW two days earlier than first planned.
The Sydney clubs were originally scheduled to share a flight into Queensland on Saturday. That arrangement may no longer be practical given both clubs’ travelling parties will swell because they are taking more players than would be the norm for a single game.
Swans coach John Longmire conceded on Tuesday it was possible that his team would not play again in Sydney this year.
“Anything is possible in this environment,” he said. “You have to roll with the punches a bit. If that’s the case, that’s the case ... if the plan changes we’ll move with it. What you’re fast becoming accustomed to is turning up to work on a Monday and being not sure what the next day will bring.”
The impact has also been felt in Super Netball, with the opening round of fixtures changed to accomodate a last-minute dash for the border by teams meant to play in Sydney this weekend.
The two Sydney teams, the Swifts and Giants, will now face each other at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena on Saturday, with their original opponents, the Adelaide Thunderbirds and West Coast Fever, to square off in the second part of a double header.
Super Netball said it will now review player health and welfare, load and travel requirements before announcing any changes to round two, after which all teams were to congregate in a Queensland hub anyway, for at least the remainder of the first six rounds.
“The league has understood from the beginning that this season would need to be flexible to ensure we’re able to carry out a full 60-match competition and we have created a system and fixture to deal with the uncertainty of this health emergency,” said Super Netball CEO Chris Symington.
“The health and safety of all players, officials and support staff is paramount and by moving all scheduled matches to Queensland this weekend and beyond, we’re ensuring this safety, along with the sustainability of the season.”
The NRL, which has previously been given exemptions from border closures but must reapply each time Queensland updates its measures, is seeking reassurance from the Queensland government that will continue to be the case.
The NRL is awaiting official word from Queensland Health but, at this stage, insists its current exemption to travel during Covid-19 means there will be no issue. The league has had the freedom to move games between NSW and Queensland since the restart, with teams being chartered across state lines and returning without staying overnight.
The new restrictions will certainly not affect this weekend’s matches given Cronulla play in Brisbane on Friday night, while Canberra and Newcastle’s players are not from the Sydney region. Canterbury’s trip to the Sunshine Coast next weekend in round 13 would be the first travel under threat for the NRL.
And there is uncertainty over the impact of the new restrictions on the Super Rugby Au competition, with the Queensland Reds to play the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on 8 August before heading back to Brisbane to play the Rebels the week after.
The other professional league currently up and running, the A-League, appears to have escaped the latest travel chaos with clubs already locked into a NSW hub, where the remainder of the season will be played out.
