AFL Covid 2021: Giants, Swans to extend stay in south as attention turns to families and partners
With the Giants and the Swans expected to remain in Victoria, discussions around families and partners caught in coronavirus-ravaged Sydney remains a priority for both clubs.
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Relocating family and partners out of coronavirus-ravaged Sydney to Melbourne remains the Swans’ and Giants’ priority as they brace for an extended stay in Victoria.
As the NSW Government reels from another 50 Covid-19 cases, the two Sydney clubs are working on a joint submission with the AFL that will be presented to the Victorian Government.
The Swans and Giants, who have been in Melbourne for almost three weeks, had a meeting with league officials on Friday as they try to reunite players and staff with loved ones under lockdown in Sydney.
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The worsening crisis in NSW won’t help their cause, but they would need to complete a two-week quarantine period regardless, even if the government gives them the green light.
Those discussions are set to resume after the weekend, ahead of next Saturday’s Sydney Derby, which is certain to be played away from the Harbour City, as it was last year.
Canberra’s Manuka Oval continues to be touted as an alternative venue, but there is a strong chance the second clash this year between the teams — a Giants home match — will be in Victoria.
Both clubs have bounced around various Melbourne facilities to train and each has relinquished home games because of the situation.
Swans chief executive Tom Harley said his club’s “primary concern”, which had only increased in importance in recent days, was supporting the families and partners in Sydney.
Players and staff were forced to flee Sydney at short notice and some were unable to say goodbye to family, including school-aged or younger children.
“We’re really just trying to do the best we possibly can to provide support,” Harley told ABC Sport.
“We’d love to reconnect the families as quickly and as best as possible. There’s no update on any of that at the moment.
“We’re working around the clock with the AFL on that. I don’t want to jump the gun on what may or may not happen, but suffice to say it’s a very tricky situation – and it’s only the Sydney clubs this time.
“The competition (stood) together last year to support everyone and, right now, the Sydney clubs will need that support going forward.”
Harley said the “silver lining” was some players and staff had Melbourne-based family they hadn’t seen much of in the past year, but that “no two circumstances are the same.”
Covid pain set to continue for Sydney clubs
Greater Western Sydney is committed to remaining in Melbourne for the foreseeable future despite no prospect of being reunited with their families in coming weeks.
The Giants will take on Gold Coast in Ballarat this weekend before a local derby against Sydney next weekend that was to be held at Giants Stadium.
As Sydney recorded 38 new Covid cases overnight – including 12 with a source under investigation – the AFL on Wednesday said it was working hard on reuniting players with families.
GWS has only a handful of players with young children, but Sydney star Lance Franklin’s son Rocky is only three months old.
Clubs are happy the AFL is continuing to investigate options but with Sydney a red zone they are not holding out any hope their families being flown to Melbourne will be possible.
The continuing Covid crisis in Sydney means the clubs already in Melbourne for over three weeks could remain here for weeks to come.
The AFL had told NSW-based clubs they would be in Melbourne for only three weeks but has now had to admit to them they cannot speculate on a likely return date.
The AFL is not yet ready to lock in Canberra as the destination for the GWS-Sydney clash but the clubs could fly into the city without Covid restrictions and then jet back to Melbourne.
The league is investigating other venues but Manuka Oval could hold as many as 11,000-12,000 fans.
The Giants could yet give Stephen Coniglio another week of VFL action as he returns from an ankle injury.
About feverish debate about his place in the GWS team, the plan early this week was for Coniglio to play a full-length VFL game to reach full match fitness.
The Giants could change that plan at match committee today but Coniglio is on board with a slow build-up to ensure he hits the ground running when he does resume at AFL level.
He won 17 possessions and had 11 tackles in that half of football, but with GWS having a wealth of inside midfielders and in winning form there is no rush to get him in purely because he is the club captain.
Will unlikely career revival continue for Giant?
Shane Mumford’s latest lion-hearted performance on Saturday against Melbourne hasn’t tempted him or the Giants to consider extending his playing career into a 14th season.
Mumford, who turned 35 on Monday, still plans to retire this year despite exceeding expectations in the absence of ruck recruit Braydon Preuss, who’s been sidelined by shoulder and pectoral injuries.
Greater Western Sydney football boss Jason McCartney told The Daily Telegraph the plan was for Mumford to play as few as three games but instead he is up to seven and counting.
The rugged veteran, who played for Geelong and Sydney previously, hasn’t played more than two matches in a row because of knee and back issues that require ongoing management.
“This will be it for ‘Mummy’ – he won’t play next year,” McCartney said.
“He’s done so much for us, but his body’s shot. He’s absolutely phenomenal and a freak of nature with how he keeps going. He’s so competitive.”
The Giants have a 6-1 record this year when Mumford plays, including wins over top-eight sides Melbourne, Sydney and West Coast, after they claimed victory in 15 of his 20 games on their way to the 2019 Grand Final.
That was after the 2012 Swans premiership player retired and sat out the 2018 season to be the GWS ruck coach, because of ankle and knee injuries that were considered career-ending.
The Giants targeted Preuss, 26, last year while he was still under contract at the Demons to be Leon Cameron’s No. 1 ruckman after Sam Jacobs’ retirement.
Mumford re-signed for this season as ruck insurance, given emerging big men Matt Flynn and Kieren Briggs were yet to make their AFL debut and Lachie Keeffe had settled into a key defensive post.
Flynn made his senior debut in Round 1 – 1944 days after he was drafted, including overcoming an ACL setback – and has played 11 matches this year.
The 23-year-old’s strong marking and contested ball-winning, in particular, have enabled him to carve out a regular spot, often alongside Mumford or Briggs.
Fellow GWS Academy graduate Briggs, 21, has also broken through for three games.
Flynn’s and Briggs’ progress under Mumford’s tutelage has buoyed McCartney about the state of his ruck stocks.
Preuss could return from his torn pectoral muscle by the end of the home and away season and challenge for a finals spot if the Giants maintain their top-eight spot.
What is Giants’ plan for recruit Hogan?
Greater Western Sydney is set to reward forward recruit Jesse Hogan with a new one-year deal despite him not reaching a games trigger in his contract.
Hogan’s career was at the crossroads last year after a series of off-field controversies marred his two seasons at Fremantle, following a high-profile move from Melbourne.
Separate quad and calf setbacks have limited him to only two AFL matches this season – on top of three in the VFL – but he otherwise hasn’t put a foot wrong during his fresh start in Sydney.
Hogan is living in a granny flat at the back of teammate Shane Mumford’s property and enjoying being relatively anonymous, especially after a difficult experience at home in Perth.
“I was slowly just becoming someone I wasn’t – I’d look in the mirror and think, ‘This isn’t really me’,” Hogan said in April.
“It just happened over time and slowly I lost passion for it and disconnected further from that 18-year-old who just loved football.
“Footy’s a grind, but that’s a good thing … My first four, five years I loved everything about it.”
The 26-year-old was considered one of the game’s brightest talents and even won the AFL Rising Star award in 2015, ahead of future Carlton captain Patrick Cripps.
GWS took a punt on Hogan’s upside after million-dollar spearhead Jeremy Cameron chose to join Geelong last year and gave up only pick 54 in last year’s draft.
The Dockers parted with draft selections six and 23 for him only two years earlier.
The Giants inherited the final season of Hogan’s three-year deal with Fremantle and had incentives built into it that would have enabled him to automatically earn a 2022 list berth.
He won’t satisfy those but it’s understood he has impressed enough for GWS to show faith in him.
Coach Leon Cameron will want a more consistent return from Hogan as the Giants try to claim a finals berth, but he’s looked their most dangerous key forward in kicking four goals in each of his two senior appearances.
Hogan is poised to return against Gold Coast at Ballarat’s Mars Stadium on Sunday after resuming from his calf injury in the VFL last week.
GWS also hopes to secure the signatures of star midfielders Josh Kelly and Jacob Hopper, while former co-captains Phil Davis and Callan Ward are others without a deal for next year.
Originally published as AFL Covid 2021: Giants, Swans to extend stay in south as attention turns to families and partners
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