AFLW: Deni Varnhagen won’t play for Adelaide Crows this season after refusing Covid-19 vaccine

Crows AFLW players will get together as a group on Saturday in the wake of Deni Varnhagen’s axing. Here’s what her anti-vax stance means for the club and her future.

Crows’ Covid vaccine-resistant defender Deni Varnhagen will not play for Adelaide in the 2022 season.

The Crows announced on Friday morning that she had been moved to the club’s inactive list effective immediately.

The club and their dual premiership player mutually agreed to that course of action.

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Deni Varnhagen works as a nurse.

The Crows have placed her on the inactive list.

Varnhagen has told the club she does not wish to receive a Covid-19 vaccination, and, as such, she does not meet the requirements of the AFL’s vaccination policy which stipulates all players must have received at least their first dose of the vaccine by November 19 and be fully vaccinated by December 17.

Being transferred to the inactive list means an AFLW player remains linked to their club, albeit they are classified as unable to fulfil their obligations.

Crows CEO Tim Silvers said the club had long been in discussions with Varnhagen and this decision was inevitable given her stance.

“The AFL’s initial vaccination deadline is still a fortnight away however, Deni has made it well known she is against vaccination in this instance,” Silvers said.

“We have a team-first approach and the timing of this decision has been made in the best interests of the team and its preparation for the upcoming season.

“Our club supports the league’s policy and we strongly encourage people to be vaccinated for the benefit of community health and safety.

“We would like to acknowledge and thank Deni for the significant contribution she has made to our women’s program over the past five seasons.”

Crows AFLW players, disappointed to be losing their good friend and teammate, will on Saturday head to Middleton Beach for surfing and team bonding as they look to move on from the highly-publicised saga.

It’s understood Varnhagen is the only Crows player who will refuse a vaccine.

Under the AFL’s policy, the Crows could have terminated Varnhagen’s contract, but chose not to.

Varnhagen at a protest against mandatory Covid vaccinations for SA Heath workers. Picture 7 NEWS

A member of the Crows’ inaugural AFLW squad, Varnhagen has played 31 games including the 2017 and 2019 premierships.

The Crows will now look to replacing Deni by elevating one of their train-on players ahead of the first game, scheduled for early January.

Varnhagen, 29, has been playing for the Crows since the AFLW’s inaugural season in 2017 and in her five seasons in the Adelaide tricolours has won two premiership medallions, and from her 31 matches has averaged 9.9 disposals, 2.2 marks, 1.3 rebound-50s and 1.7 inside 50s.

Earlier this week, Crows AFLW coach Matthew Clarke said he was holding out hope that Varnhagen would change her views on getting vaccinated for Covid-19.

News Corp revealed last month that Varnhagen was the first known women’s player to have resisted getting the Covid vaccine.

“The club is pretty clear. We’re really promoting vaccination. We think it’s really important for the community and our industry,” he said on SEN SA.

“The club’s position is really clear and it falls into line with the AFL and on November 19th if anyone in the playing group or the footy department aren’t vaccinated, they won’t be able to be part of the program anymore. It’s pretty straightforward.

“I hold out hope that something will change before November 19th and she’s continued to engage in the education from the medical team, from the AFL’s medical team and we see that as the opportunity, but ultimately it’s an individual choice.”

Varnhagen has been training with the Crows despite her reluctance to get the jab.

Clarke said that should she not get her first dose by November 19 the Crows can replace her on the list.

“That’ll be the situation. As of November 19th, that plays out, we’ll be in a position to replace anyone inactive at that stage and that’s what we’ll do,” he said.

He also said while he disagreed with her views he was not angry or disappointed in Varnhagen.

“Ultimately everyone’s got the right to go about their lives and live their lives in the way they see fit. My perspective, I’m really clear on what is important for our community in terms of vaccination,” he said.

Crows coach Matthew Clarke.

Clubs who put players on their inactive list still pay them a portion of their salaries – 25 per cent of AFLW salaries or the CBA minimum base salary for AFL players.

In addition to that Varnhagen, who is an ICU nurse away from football, has faced having to get a vaccination to continue her career by November 1 under a mandate issued by SA Health.

Varnhagen and other healthcare workers impacted took part in a protest against mandatory vaccinations in Adelaide on Tuesday.

Adelaide AFLW player Deni Varnhagen at a protest against mandatory Covid vaccinations for SA Heath workers. Picture 7 NEWS

“Obviously I love being a nurse and coercion is not consent,” she told reporters at the rally.

“No-one should be at threat of losing their job if they don’t enter a medical experiment … it is in its trial, it has only been provisionally approved.

“I’m terrified for all nurses; we all love working. We shouldn’t be at threat of losing our jobs because you know we are on the frontline, we see everything.

I’m here as a healthcare worker, I’m not going to talk about AFL footy, I’m here as my other career path.”

Varnhagen has maintained she is not an “anti-vaxxer” in pushing back against having the jab, rather that she had not yet been able to make an informed choice about whether to have the vaccine.

Last month she attended an Adelaide “freedom protest”, which she posted on her Instagram page after sharing content around freedom of choice.

The Crows have said the club strongly encourages people to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Varnhagen has until November 19 to receive her first dose and December 17 to receive her second jab ahead of the AFLW’s January 6 season start date.

Crows coach Matthew Clarke said last week Varnhagen was continuing to educate herself around the vaccine with the help of AFL and Crows medical teams.

Varnhagen at Crows training. Picture Dean Martin

“She’s gathering as much information as she possibly can and we’re supportive of that … ultimately it’s her decision and we’ll respect that decision,” he said.

“From a club’s perspective we’ve been really clear. We are very much promoting everyone to get vaccinated and personally that’s clearly my position as well.

“But ultimately it’s an individual decision and it’s someone’s medical decision, so we respect her right to get more information and, if and when we have to cross that bridge, then we’ll do so.”