AFL make final decision on SA clubs after crazy back-and-forth

The AFL has come to a final decision on the hullabaloo surrounding the relocation of two clubs, as they press on with keeping the season alive.

Both South Australian AFL teams have fleed the state.

The AFL has confirmed that the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide will temporarily set up shop in Melbourne after a day of complete chaos.

Both sides were set to fly to Melbourne, until they were turned back from the airport on Tuesday afternoon and told to go home.

But now the South Australian clubs’ Round 19 fixtures will go ahead, with the Power playing Collingwood in Travis Boak’s 300th game at Marvel Stadium on Friday while the Crows take on Hawthorn at the same ground on Saturday night.

The Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide were turned back from the airport on Tuesday and told to go home after thinking they were fleeing the now locked down South Australian capital in a day of AFL Covid chaos.

The Power will play Collingwood in Melbourne on Friday night. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

A snap-seven day SA lockdown announced on Tuesday prompted the AFL to summon the two clubs to Victoria only for a late afternoon backflip.

Players and staff from both clubs were set to board a charter flight to Melbourne later today, after learning of the lockdown news this morning.

Both sides were set to play at the Adelaide Oval this round on consecutive days, however the location for their matches is now up in the air.

The speedy relocation was the first option after the clubs were informed they would be unable to train at their home state.

There was some confusion on why the teams were leaving one city in lockdown for another, which was questioned by Port veteran Tom Rockliff.

“If you can do the maths on that, you are a genius. We are doing the same thing,” he told Triple M.

“You do the maths on why we would fly there, if you can work that out let me know.

“Trying to comprehend the reason of leaving a city in lockdown to go to another city that’s in lockdown, it’s hard to get your head around. Even to go there and play last weekend was little bit odd

“There was a city in lockdown and we flew in and out. The AFL want to continue to push on and that’s completely understandable and all players are willing to do that but at what cost and at what point do we bring that bye forward and just take a deep breath for a week, let everyone settle down?

“No one likes the finals-week bye, scrap it and let everyone get out of lockdown and give them more time to work out the plan.”

I’m thinking it’s going to be a Showdown in Adelaide after all this. For Boak’s 300th! Sides turned back from airport and flight to Melbourne cancelled. This would mean Collingwood v Hawthorn - brought forward from Round 21, which was also supposed to have showdown. Switcheroo!

— Sam Edmund (@Sammy__Edmund) July 20, 2021

It continues a tumultuous few days for the league which only locked in this weekend’s fixture late yesterday, and is now staring at more venue changes.

Players from four clubs are now also in 14-days quarantine after St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall joined the list, forcing him out of the Round 19 clash with West Coast in Perth.

Marshall, in Perth with his teammates, discovered he had attended a recently added Tier-1 exposure site in Melbourne, immediately alerted club officials and self-isolated.

He attended the Precinct Bar and Restaurant in Richmond for approximately 45 minutes before heading home from the Wallabies Test at AAMI Park last Tuesday with teammate Darragh Joyce.

Due to the protocols and testing regime required by the Western Australian Government, prior to and since arriving in the State, the remainder of the St Kilda travelling party will be able to continue training in accordance with the quarantine directions provided by the West Australian Police.

GWS star becomes first player to voluntarily exit hub

GWS forward Bobby Hill became the first player to voluntarily exit his team’s AFL hub and has returned to Sydney to be with his pregnant partner.

Having spent a month apart after both the Giants and Swans were forced to flee Sydney, Hill made the family first decision in consultation with club officials and flew home on Monday morning.

BALLARAT, AUSTRALIA - JULY 11: Bobby Hill of the Giants in action during the round 17 AFL match between Greater Western Sydney Giants and Gold Coast Suns at Mars Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images)

It’s understood his partner is due to give birth to their first child in December.

Giants star Toby Greene was among several players and staff forced out of the team hub to spend 14 days in isolation after they unwittingly visited Covid hot spots in Melbourne when the team was staying in Victoria.

Families of both the Giants and Swans players have been unable to link-up as the AFL attempts to united them via a Queensland transition hub.

The Queensland government has given approval for families of NRL players to join them in the state on Wednesday.

Partners and children will head to the Gold Coast where they will quarantine for two weeks, before being reunited with the players, who are already in hubs in the state following the COVID-9 outbreaks in NSW and Victoria.

💬 “Bobby will return home with our full support and if the option becomes available for him to re-join the group then we’ll welcome him back as soon as we can.”

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) July 20, 2021

Hill would need to complete 14 days of quarantine should he want to re-join his teammates in Queensland with his partner, unless they are relocated again.

the 21-year-old had the club’s full support.

“As we know, the two Sydney clubs have faced plenty of challenges over the past few weeks and we appreciate the sacrifices our players and staff have made,” Giants football boss Jason McCartney said.

“Family comes first, so Bobby will return home now with our full support and if the option becomes available for him to rejoin the group, then we’ll welcome him back as soon as we can.”

It comes after Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley was also forced in to 14-days quarantine after visiting a Covid hot-spot.

Originally published as AFL make final decision on SA clubs after crazy back-and-forth