AFL prepared to play matches in empty stadiums if coronavirus prompts government, health warnings
AFL blockbusters including Anzac Day could be played in empty stadiums, with the league preparing to heed warnings from health organisations and the state government on the deadly coronavirus.
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Footy fan lockouts are likely to be enforced from Round 5 in what looms as a major issue for the game.
Next Thursday night’s Richmond-Carlton season opener will not be hit, with AFL matches not anticipated to be played in front of empty grandstands until mid to late April, when bans on mass gatherings are expected to come in.
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The Round 6 Anzac Day Collingwood-Essendon blockbuster at the MCG is among the games which could be impacted.
The AFL could also be forced to dip into its $60 million emergency fund to help clubs survive.
Clubs can reap $1 million from game-day gate takings, while budgeted ticket sales, corporate hospitality packages and merchandise purchases could also plummet.
The league is hopeful most clubs have sufficient resources to ride multiple weeks of fan-free footy. But if a prolonged period of football is played behind closed doors — or clubs are unable to be field teams because of infection — the league will have to bail them out and consider other contingencies.
However, league boss Gillon McLachlan was adamant on Tuesday that every one of the 198 home-and-away games would go ahead .
“If mass gatherings are suspended then we will play games in stadiums with no crowds,” he said.
The league has started modelling the costs of fan-free games, with a 10-person coronavirus working party assessing the potential damage.
Premier Daniel Andrews said: “The reason the Grand Prix is not cancelled next week, or the footy cancelled the week after today, is because the advice says we don’t have to do that today. That advice may change … that time, the experts tell us, is going to come.”
Fremantle player Sam Switkowski was cleared of COVID-19 on Tuesday but not before captain Nathan Fyfe gained approval from AFL legal counsel Andrew Dillon to attend yesterday’s captains day.
AFL BOSS RESPONDS TO CORONAVIRUS THREAT
The AFL is preparing to play matches in empty stadiums for the first time in its 124-season history if the Federal and State Governments ban public gatherings due to the coronavirus.
But AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan remains hopeful its Round 1 season fixture – which kicks off on Thursday week when Richmond takes on Carlton before a packed house at the MCG – would go ahead as planned.
McLachlan, AFL chairman Richard Goyder and the Commission met with the 18 clubs on Tuesday to discuss the likely contingencies of what could happen in the coming weeks and months as the spread of coronavirus intensifies in Australia.
He stressed the safety of the competition’s players, its staff and its millions of fans was its “No. 1 priority”, but stressed the game was well placed to overcome the unprecedented obstacles it will be confronted with in 2020.
“The Victorian Government has signalled that it is likely large public gatherings will be impacted at some stage in the future and it is prudent that we are prepared and planned,” McLachlan said.
“We have taken the step of forming a working group to co-ordinate any response and provide protocols to clubs.
“Our clubs, players and fans should know that if a response is required, then we will be well planned and ready.
“If mass gatherings are suspended, then we will play games in stadiums with no crowds.
“We are also working on other protocols to protect not only players and staff but our members and supporters.”
McLachlan conceded there would likely be “new complications” arising throughout the 2020 season, but said he expected – and encouraged – fans to attend the opening round of football next week.
“We intend to play every game this season, that’s all I can say,” he said.
“We will continue to make the decisions we need to get that done.”
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“They (the Andrews Government) said we should be prepared in the coming weeks. Our advice at the moment is to push ahead as planned and Round 1 will go ahead with supporters.
“The Government made a clear statement as to where it is going and we look to them for their advice.
“I am not going to second guess the Premier on this one.”
McLachlan would not go into detail about the financial implications of playing matches without crowds, nor how a club or clubs could be impacted if a player or players test positive for the virus.
“Club doctors and medical staff are well equipped to work through any precautionary measures and manage any player health concerns – this is something they continue to do on a daily basis as they prepare for the season,” he said.
McLachlan said the game was strong enough to deal with the disruption that coronavirus is certain to have on the 2020 season.
“Our game is strong … over the past few years we have worked hard as an industry to build a strong balance sheet with a Future Fund that has enabled us to invest in revenue-generating assets,” he said.
“That strategy will allow us to work through whatever challenge is ahead of us and our clubs to support the game.
“We will continue to take the advice of the Government and make preparations based on that advice.
“We are planned and while it might get complicated, the game always finds a way.”
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FORMER MCC BOSS: STADIUMS, CLUBS WOULD SUFFER FROM LOCKOUT
Jon Ralph
A fan lockout of AFL venues would have a disastrous effect on every level of the football economy, according to former MCC boss Stephen Gough.
Gough was the chief executive of the AFL’s biggest ground for 17 seasons until 2017 and has an intimate knowledge of AFL ticket sales and the business of sport.
The MCC’s blockbuster games draw ticket sales of $1 million and if cancelled or played behind closed doors would rob the tenant club of that entire revenue.
If the blackouts continued over an extended period it could be a financial armageddon given the flow-on effects on clubs, venues and the AFL.
Gough, also a former Carlton CEO, said only the strong membership figures of many clubs would lessen the financial effects.
“Richmond has 100,000 members but the Richmond-Carlton game would have a million dollar gate. Richmond might have sold 30,000 seasonal (reserve) seats so they would already have the money for those,” he said.
“It varies with how many gate sales there are on the day. If you suddenly went down to not having games attended by people, that knocks revenue around for everyone.
“How do you deal with people who have paid for their memberships but aren’t allowed to go? “Do you give them a refund or is that bad luck? I don’t know what the AFL’s view is here but this would have a massive impact on the football economy.”
Gough said stadiums would also be at risk given so much of their revenue came only when fans turned up.
The league now owns Marvel Stadium and would take a significant financial hit.
“The stadiums would no doubt be affected because a lot of money from stadiums comes from food and beverage, from ticket sales and ground rent. If you reduce your crowds you reduce your income for sure.
“Do sponsors who paid money for signage (get compensation), do people who have paid for corporate hospitality say they want their money back, do broadcasters say they aren’t getting paid or is it a bigger TV market because everyone watches it on TV,” he said.
“There is a knock-on effect on everything. If you can’t go you can’t spend, so you don’t pay for merchandise, for food and beverage, for advertising, for corporate hospitality through functions. It will have a big effect.”
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Originally published as AFL prepared to play matches in empty stadiums if coronavirus prompts government, health warnings