Mark Robinson on the Covid-19 crisis and why Gillon McLachlan is grim about AFL season

It was like the dialogue from a horror movie. Gillon McLachlan wasn’t just talking about one wild day. He was talking about the uncertainty of the immediate future.

IT was like the dialogue from a horror movie.

“The virus,” a grim-faced Gillon McLachlan began, “we just have to deal with it.’’

He was not mimicking Dustin Hoffman’s role in Outbreak, nor was McLachlan acting.

But The Virus — the Indian strain that we’re told is spreading faster and deadlier than its previous cousin — has temporarily hijacked football. Again.

McLachlan, of course, was talking about saving footy by relocating games, players and clubs this weekend.

He was also talking about the uncertainty of the immediate future.

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AFL boss Gillon McLachlan was grim when speaking about the impact of the Covid crisis on the season. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

But the same can be said about everything and everyone in greater Melbourne, who once again are in dreaded home lock down.

“We just have to deal with it.’’ And, once again, football will be our friend as it forges ahead this weekend.

Yes, it’s about money and broadcast contracts, and being “agile and flexible’’, but there’s no dispute that football will bring some life to a weekend of uncertainty as the rest of us in Victoria shut down.

McLachlan didn’t offer much more than what we already knew at his 3.30pm press conference on Wednesday.

Crowds were banned from attending three matches in Melbourne, but that was a formality from when the state government first contemplated lockdown on Wednesday and before it made it official on Thursday morning.

The league boss confirmed the Hawks-Suns game had been moved from Darwin to the SCG on Saturday and the Tigers-Crows game from the MCG to Giants Stadium on Sunday.

AFL games are back to being played in front of empty stadiums.

It compromises the season a fraction, and with every game moved, shifted or rescheduled from a home ground to a neutral venue, the compromise will only grow.

Still, a tick to the NSW government for bailing out football.

McLachlan also confirmed the Demons-Bulldogs clash on Friday night was likely to go ahead despite a player being forced into 14-day quarantine. More good news.

But McLachlan’s long-term strategies were less certain.

He confirmed all contingencies had been discussed and remained in play, and would be acted upon depending on what the bastard virus has in its plan.

If it’s contained, football can return to normality and we can exit lockdown

If it isn’t, relocation for several weeks, and maybe even longer-term hubs for clubs, might well be appropriate

We remember last year.

The sudden evacuation of Victoria was supposed to last a month. For the Tigers and Cats, it dragged beyond 100 days.

It is delicate at present.

The iconic Dreamtime at the G clash is in doubt. Picture: Michael Klein

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Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania have closed their borders to Victoria and who knows if NSW will follow suit.

But Tasmania is not abandoning the AFL just yet. While Tassie and the AFL are not bedfellows at the moment, that did not stop the premier Peter Gutwein and McLachlan speaking yesterday.

Quizzed as to whether AFL hubs were a possibility, Gutwein said: “I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.’’ So, a half-tick to Tassie

McLachlan did not have answers to questions about the weeks ahead, such as: Will the Dreamtime clash between Richmond and Essendon remain at the MCG?

It’s possible that match could be played in WA.

There are many more questions: Will there be hubs? Will all players want to go? Will there be a festival of football? Could there be a total shutdown?

Time will tell. In the meantime, we all just have to deal with it.

Originally published as Mark Robinson on the Covid-19 crisis and why Gillon McLachlan is grim about AFL season