AFL finals 2021: Patrick Dangerfield desperate to play in front of crowds
He has a long history in South Australia and Patrick Dangerfield hopes Geelong will be playing in Adelaide in the first week of finals. Here’s why.
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AFL Players’ Association president Patrick Dangerfield says it would be “a disservice” to the game if this year’s finals were played in front of empty stadiums with “no soul”.
As the league weighs up its options for the finals series amid Victoria latest Covid outbreak, Dangerfield said he would prefer to play a final interstate in front of a crowd rather than an earned home game at an empty GMHBA Stadium.
And the champion midfielder and former Crow nominated Adelaide Oval as his preferred venue.
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Dangerfield said playing finals in front of no crowds was soulless.
“I strongly believe if you earn the right to host a game on your home deck you should have that opportunity, but there is no soul to a game in front of no one,” Dangerfield said.
“The feeling of running out in front of no crowd and trying to be up for the moment, this may sound ridiculous and maybe it’s different in finals, but it’s hard to get yourself up for a game where there is just no atmosphere, the atmosphere comes from the people watching (and) the passion that they show.
“When they’re not there, when our fans are not there, it disappears and it’s hard to stay engaged in the game. It may sound ridiculous but it’s true, it doesn’t invoke any emotion during the game and your teammates kick a great goal and there is silence.
“It just doesn’t have that incredible ecstasy and elation that you feel from playing in front of fans that ride every bump with you.
“I think we would be doing a disservice if we went down that path.”
Dangerfield, who spent eight years at Adelaide before crossing to Geelong, said if he was given the choice of a crowdless home qualifying final or a full house interstate, he would lean towards the “special place” Adelaide Oval.
“I am a bit biased having spent eight years in South Australia, it is an incredible place to play footy,” Dangerfield said on SEN.
“I do feel there is a special place in football’s heart that is Adelaide Oval. It is a special place.
“You obviously wouldn’t want to play Port Adelaide because it’s their home ground but if you had the choice …
“Maybe we are slightly different because of the dimensions of Kardinia Park, but you do lose a bit of a benefit of being a home team when there is no crowd because that’s generally what makes it such a rowdy experience for the opposition. That does dissipate a bit.
“I would be leaning towards that beautiful Adelaide Oval.”
Perth has been considered a frontrunner to host this year’s Grand Final but WA premier Mark McGowan has suggested all players being fully vaccinated could form part of the state’s strict guidelines for hosting the AFL showpiece.
Dangerfield stressed the players had been mindful of “waiting their turn” to get the vaccine and said the chances of all players being fully vaccinated by Grand Final day were low.
“I would say most aren’t and we have been really cognisant of the fact no queue jumping and waiting our turn for whenever that may be,” Dangerfield said.
“Clearly there is a lot to work through should it be regulated that you have to have been vaccinated to go and play.
“I suspect we would be running out of time depending on the time between vaccinations.
“We have to be realistic and as soon as post-season or whenever it is, I will be lining up to get the jab and I know the vast majority of players will be.
“We want to do our part with it, but we are clearly running out of time with the situation that we are in with regards to AFL footy.”
Should the AFL Grand Final be taken to Perth, McGowan has also indicated the families of players and coaches would be barred from entering the state.
But Dangerfield said it would be a “small price to pay” for the finals to go ahead.
“I don’t think it’s a massive thing to give up to not have families there,” Dangerfield said.
“Given the state of play for so many Australians that have been trying to get from state to state, whether it be on compassionate grounds for health reasons, and we are really cognisant of the fact that we have been allowed to move from state to state because of the industry we are in.
“I haven’t had a conversation on this with the broader PA but I don’t think it is something that we would be pushing that families have to go because we are really respectful of what we’ve been able to do and it’s a very minor price to pay to continue the season on to play finals footy.”
AFL’S SHOCK MOVE TO GUARANTEE GRAND FINAL CROWD
— Jon Ralph
The AFL is prepared to postpone its grand final by a week under the doomsday scenario of a Covid-19 outbreak days before the season decider.
The approach would buy the league seven days to chase a crowd rather than play the competition’s biggest game in an empty stadium.
Perth is the hottest of favourites to host this year’s grand final but the AFL will not make a call on a relocation until it is obvious Victoria’s Covid situation would prevent a crowd of around 50,000 at the MCG.
The clear danger for the AFL would be Western Australia premier Mark McGowan deciding to lock down Perth even if a single Covid case appeared in grand final week, denying the AFL a Perth Stadium crowd.
In that case the Herald Sun understands the league is prepared to postpone the game into October.
Under no circumstances will the AFL play its grand final without a crowd if another option is possible including postponing the game.
Having to move a grand final from Perth back to another state capable of hosting the game because of a sudden outbreak is an option no one wants to contemplate.
But the league’s view is that almost every city will now lock down if a mystery case emerges so it will have to deal with the latest curve ball if it arises.
McGowan’s hard-line stance will not be a disincentive in taking the game to WA given the state’s success in minimising Covid cases gives it the best chance of a 60,000 strong crowd.
Under that scenario of a relocated grand final the Victorian state government would broker a deal to add another season to the MCG’s contract to host the grand final and potentially add more games to their 2022 schedule.
A decision could come in early September, with the most likely scenario the league shifts its final two weeks of finals to Perth.
McGowan said on Monday he wanted all players fully vaccinated if the league shifted finals to Perth.
But few AFL players are vaccinated and that would not be a condition of entry.
The AFL and player union have not kept statistics on players who are vaccinated.
Those with underlying conditions, who have taken the AZ jab or who have gained permission from doctors for a Pfizer shot would have had access to vaccines.
Many AFL coaches and support staff are in the age bracket where they would be vaccinated.
But the league has been adamant it will not jump the queue for vaccines and with little supply it has not asked players to be vaccinated.
The league’s working party on vaccination will formulate a policy which could yet see AFLW players vaccinated for the December season start and for the men’s season starting next March.
The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons became the first team in that code to become 100 per cent vaccinated this week with 91 per cent of players having had at least one dose of vaccine.
“It hasn’t been an issue because of supply,” McLachlan said recently.
“We have made a decision as a league, the priority is vulnerable groups to get vaccinated first. We have never considered going ahead of those. As supply (issues) come off the table we have a working group formulating an education program so all of our industry can get the information they need around vaccination to make an informed decision and as supply comes on, we will be encouraging all of our players and staff to get vaccinated.”
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