AFL 2020 updated fixture: Where is your club relocating?
The AFL has been forced to relocate all 10 of its Victorian clubs and not a single team will play in its home state next weekend.
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Time to work on your tans, Tigers.
Richmond has expressed its reservations about being placed in a hub, but its players will be forced to adapt after being included in a group of six teams being relocated to Queensland for the rest of the season.
Not just a block of games it seems, but the rest of the minor round.
St Kilda, Carlton, North Melbourne, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs are also heading north.
RELATED: SA slams door on hubs
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the news Friday with a cheeky quip about the new home of footy.
“Essentially Queensland is going to be the home of the AFL, they should give us the grand final after this,” Palaszczuk said.
“Four teams are going to be on the Gold Coast and two on the Sunshine Coast.
“There will be a lot more matches at the Gabba and Metricon and of course our capacity is 50 per cent of the public being able to go see these sports stars in action.
“(They’ll be here) for the rest of the season is my understanding.”
Hub life #AFL #justsaying bring the shorts 𩳠pic.twitter.com/R2VV54W3a3
— Jeff White (@JeffWhite34) July 3, 2020
The Saints and Blues will reportedly base themselves in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast while the Tigers, Bombers, Dogs and Kangaroos will be on the Gold Coast after all teams complete their games in round five this weekend.
Remaining Victorian sides Hawthorn, Collingwood, Melbourne and Geelong will head to New South Wales for round six.
The Hawks and Demons will stay on for an undetermined period of time, while the Cats and Magpies will fly to Western Australia for round seven.
West Coast, Fremantle and Adelaide will finally play a game in their home states in round seven, but table-topping Port Adelaide will remain on the road. The Power will stay in Queensland for their next three games, including a clash against Brisbane at the Gabba this Saturday night.
AFL ‘GETTING WEIRD’ AFTER HUGE SCRAMBLE
“The AFL fixtures just released tilt the competition further toward ‘desperation’ mode,” tweeted Richard Hinds. “Play on by all means. Save livelihoods, provide content. But it’s getting weird.”
Not one @AFL club is playing in their home state during round 6.
— Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) July 3, 2020
2020 strikes again.
“I’ve said on a number of occasions this will be a season of challenges. Every day will throw up a different challenge. We have a different fixture today than we had yesterday,” AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said during a press conference.
“We’ve talked about being flexible and agile. Part of the revised fixture is to temporarily move all Victorian teams out for about 32 days. By the end of Monday, all 10 clubs will have moved out of Victoria for the next block of matches.
“The SA and WA based clubs will return home at the end of Round 5 and 6 respectively. The Suns and Lions will have a period in NSW, before returning. Collingwood and Geelong will head to NSW for 1 game, before flying to Perth.
“We will play 45 games in approx 32 days. All Victorian clubs will then return to Victoria, where we will assess our options. If we are unable to do this, we will make appropriate adjustments.
“Our commitment is the next 30-odd days (to be in Queensland). Queensland and New South Wales are very important to us. It’s an incredible opportunity to have six teams in each state for the next month or so.
“Having people at the footy will be great for those members and for our players. In Round 7, there’s a prospect for 30,000 for Collingwood v Geelong in Perth and the prospect of a sellout for the derby on the Sunday.”
That is the good thing about the AFL teams moving out of Victoria, there can be crowds at the games.
— Matt Thompson ð¦ðº (@MattThompson) July 3, 2020
ROUND SIX
Thursday, July 9
Geelong v Brisbane, SCG, 7.40pm AEST
Friday, July 10
Collingwood v Hawthorn, Giants Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
Saturday, July 11
Fremantle v St Kilda, Metricon Stadium, 12.35pm AEST
West Coast v Adelaide, Gabba, 3.05pm AEST
Melbourne v Gold Coast, Giants Stadium, 6.05pm AEST
Essendon v North Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 7.40pm AEST
Sunday, July 12
Port Adelaide v GWS, Metricon Stadium, 1.05pm AEST
Richmond v Sydney, Gabba, 3.35pm AEST
Carlton v Western Bulldogs, Metricon Stadium, 6.45pm AEST
ROUND SEVEN
Thursday, July 16
Geelong v Collingwood, Optus Stadium. 6.10pm AWST, 8.10 AEST
Friday, July 17
Essendon v Western Bulldogs, Metricon Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
Saturday, July 18
GWS v Brisbane, Giants Stadium, 1.45pm AEST
Sydney v Gold Coast, SCG, 4.35pm AEST
Richmond v North Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 7.40pm AEST
Sunday, July 19
Carlton v Port Adelaide, Gabba, 1.05pm AEST
Hawthorn v Melbourne, Giants Stadium, 3.35pm AEST
Fremantle v West Coast, Optus Stadium, 6.35pm AEST
Monday, July 20
Adelaide v St Kilda, Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm AEST
SA SLAMS DOOR ON HUB
Amid plans to move all Victorian teams out of the state after a spike in coronavirus cases, South Australia has said no thank you.
SA health minister Stephen Wade shut the door on an AFL hub in his state, declaring the Croweaters would look after themselves during the COVID-19 virus.
“We were planning to lift the border restrictions, recent circumstances means we won’t get there. We will open the borders when it is safe to do so,” he said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“There won’t be a hub in South Australia this year and that’s disappointing. But public health has come first, we are already seeing state to state transmission and we don’t want AFL to be a bridge to that.
“We are keen to work with the AFL to explore all options, but in the context of Victoria being the hub of coronavirus infections and the base of majority of AFL teams, South Australia won’t be giving exemptions to the 14 day isolation.”
Originally published as AFL 2020 updated fixture: Where is your club relocating?