Richmond given all clear to travel to Queensland and face West Coast as Victorian coronavirus numbers spike
A host of Queensland-based Richmond fans will be the first to watch the Tigers live this year after the reigning premier was given the green light to travel to Queensland and face West Coast.
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Richmond has been granted permission by the AFL to make an overnight trip to Queensland for its clash West Coast on Thursday night.
While some clubs have been forced to complete same-day travel interstate, the Tigers will fly to Brisbane on Wednesday before making the commute by road to the Gold Coast.
The AFL has also given Richmond permission to hold a ‘captain’s run’ training session at the Queensland hub on Wednesday before staying overnight on the Gold Coast.
The Tigers will fly home after their clash with the Eagles late on Thursday night.
While Queensland’s borders remain closed to the public, Queensland-based Richmond fans will be able to attend the match.
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Restrictions were eased in the state from Saturday, allowing up to 10,000 people to attend AFL and NRL matches — an increase from 2000 fans the previous week.
“I think everyone should get out there and support their footy teams,” Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“We want to make sure that now we’ve increased the capacity of our stadiums and people can social distance, if people want to get out and support their teams, they should.”
VIC GOVERNMENT SAYS GRAND FINAL IS GOING NOWHERE
— Jay Clark
The Victorian Government has declared the AFL Grand Final is “going nowhere” as a fight erupts over footy’s biggest day.
Perth and Adelaide have launched audacious bids to poach the premiership decider following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria.
But Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox said the iconic venue had no plans to relinquish the Grand Final and was working towards having “tens of thousands of fans” at footy games later this season.
Fox said the stadium could be at least half-full for finals matches in October and November if the state got on top of local outbreaks in the next few weeks.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula yesterday said the Grand Final would not be shifted interstate in 2020.
‘’The MCG is the home of football and it’s where the Grand Final will be played until at least 2057,” Pakula said.
“It’s not going anywhere.”
Optus Stadium in Perth has approval to have 30,000 fans from Saturday and a capacity 60,000 crowd from July 18, prompting calls to move the Grand Final west to ensure the biggest game of the season is played in front of a full house of fans.
But the Herald Sun has confirmed the MCG is also preparing for a steady build-up of crowds in the back half of the season.
While the next few weeks are crucial, a gradual plan could see as many as 25,000 fans targeted for games in August.
Safe seating plans have already been developed to ensure fans can obey social distancing protocols at live games.
Fox said the venue would be fully prepared to host tens of thousands of fans for the Grand Final pending State Government approval.
“We will be guided as always by the State Government and the necessary medical experts to ensure the health of the general public is the absolute priority,” Fox told the Herald Sun.
“We have been working really closely with the AFL and the State Government for a number of months to ensure the MCG will be ready for fans at the appropriate time.
“There are several scenarios that could cater for tens of thousands of fans in a manner that is safe for everyone.
“But certainly we have had no discussions with the AFL about moving the Grand Final.
“It is several months down the track and we remain committed as ever to continuing to play a key role in one of the best days on the Australian sporting calendar.”
The MCG is contracted to host the AFL Grand Final until 2057.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said earlier this month he still held hopes of having more than 100,000 fans at the Grand Final.
A capacity Grand Final crowd is worth more than $50 million in ticket sales and corporate packages to the league.
The MCG is also scheduled to host ICC World Cup games between October 25 to November 15.
But that is almost certain to be postponed as international COVID-19 cases continue to soar.
The AFL Grand Final has been slated for October 24 but it could be pushed out by weeks depending on the fixture arrangements.
The Pakistan cricket team is the latest to be rocked by positive test results.
“We have obviously got a contract with the ICC and we will continue to work with them to understand their plans over the next few months,” Fox said.
SHAW: TIME VICTORIANS GOT OVER GRAND FINAL PAROCHIALISM
Rebecca Williams
Collingwood great Tony Shaw says the AFL must investigate holding this year’s Grand Final interstate if no crowds are allowed at the MCG, declaring Victoria must “get over” its parochialism.
A passionate Victorian and self-described AFL traditionalist, Shaw said the premiership decider and AFL showpiece would clearly suffer without the atmosphere of a packed stadium.
West Australian premier Mark McGowan said Perth Stadium was “clearly” firming to host the AFL Grand Final if Victorian coronavirus restrictions prohibited or limited crowds for this year’s finals.
The WA government announced crowds of up to 30,000 are allowed at games from this Saturday and there will be no limits by July 18, meaning 60,000 fans will be able to attend games in Perth.
Up to 27,000 fans will also be able to attend matches at the Adelaide Oval from next week.
Meanwhile, a rise in COVID-19 infections in Victoria has dampened hopes of crowds returning to matches in the state anytime soon.
Shaw said this year’s coronavirus-inflicted season meat the AFL had to consider looking to other states to host the Grand Final if Victorian crowds were ruled out.
“I think it’s quite logical that we look to other venues,” Shaw said.
“I’m a traditionalist at heart. I’m a day Grand Final, MCG (Grand Final) every time of the week. But I think it’s logical that we do look elsewhere.
“The capabilities of letting 60,000 people – whether they are West Australians, or South Australians or whatever – watching our Grand Final live, I think we have got to go with it.
“I have got no worries at all (about moving it). I think it’s quite logical and it could be only a once offer, but if it was to be successful you never know what is going to happen down the track.
“I hope that doesn’t happen, but for this year I think you have got to investigate it.
“We’ve got to get over that parochial situation as Victorians.”
The AFL has a long-term agreement in place with the MCC and the Victorian government to play the Grand Final at the MCG.
The MCC yesterday did not want to buy into the debate.
Shaw said all sorts of sacrifices had to be made for the game this year and an interstate Grand Final might need to be one of them.
“We are all giving up for the game this year,” Shaw said.
“We are all compensating in certain ways to get it done.
“So I think just for this season, if there was no crowd at the MCG but we could get 60,000 people in over in WA or South Australia or anywhere for that fact, I’m thinking you do it.”
PERTH ‘CLEARLY’ FIRMING TO STAGE GRAND FINAL: PREMIER
– Mark Duffield
WA Premier Mark McGowan says Perth Stadium is “clearly” firming to host this year’s AFL Grand Final if the MCG only allowed limited fans at season’s end.
Fremantle and West Coast will square off in a Round 7 Western Derby in front of 60,000 fans at Perth Stadium on the weekend of Saturday July 18, marking the end to restrictions on stadium crowds and the start of a spectacular festival of football in Perth.
The match will be formally announced by the AFL on either Thursday or Friday this week as it releases its next block of fixtures which will likely include a 21-day rolling hub in Western Australia.
The hub, which the league is optimistic will be approved by the state government, will see two non-Western Australian teams come to Perth, play each other while serving their 14-day quarantine, then play the two WA teams in the two weeks following.
Perth Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna said the ground was the obvious choice to stage the AFL’s showpiece event if Victoria’s COVID situation did not improve.
“You’ve got maybe one opportunity in a lifetime to play a Grand Final and you don’t dream about running in front of an empty crowd,” McKenna said.
“You dream of the roar of the crowd.”
McGowan said if WA borders came down before the Grand Final or if the teams met appropriate quarantine arrangements “clearly it could be held here”, particularly if Victoria was unable to host the decider.
“That’s subject to a lot of ‘ifs’ along the road, but if Victoria still has community spread and they can’t have a Grand Final at the MCG clearly the next best place is Optus Stadium,” he said.
“It’s worth us considering if we can get the health settings right.”
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As the trade-off for the Perth hub, the WA teams will play an extra game in Queensland in Round 6 but will be able to return to their homes when they fly back to WA to isolate there.
West Coast’s Round 6 opponent is almost certain to be Adelaide, the one hub team they have not yet been fixtures to play.
Fremantle will face a team from interstate which is yet to be announced although it could be Melbourne or Richmond who are unlikely to be sent to Perth because both will have faced West Coast.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said his club would love to host the Round 7 derby and also put WA’s case to host the Grand Final if the MCG could not have fans because of Victoria’s growing crisis with community transmission of the COVD-19 virus.
“We are still waiting on some confirmation on all the details but it looks like we have got some clarity and that gives our players a lot of comfort,” Longmuir told Channel 7 about the return to WA.
‘BRING THE GRAND FINAL TO NT’
Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane
The Northern Territory’s chief minister has urged the league to set up a footy hub in Darwin.
Victoria’s coronavirus escalation continues to force the AFL to consider safeguarding the competition, with AFL executive Andrew Dillon saying all options were on the table when it came to state hubs.
From July 18 Perth Stadium will be allowed to have crowds of 60,000, but WA premier Mark McGowan is unrelenting on forcing clubs to quarantine for 14 days.
He said on Monday the hard border would have come down on August 8 but with Victoria’s coronavirus crisis that plan is now abandoned.
The Northern Territory government confirmed to the Herald Sun it was still keen on a hub that would see players free to be part of the community after a 14-day quarantine period.
Melbourne is keen to play its one contracted game in the Northern Territory, with the AFL open to a hub that could also involve both Queensland teams.
Those quarantine protocols remain in place until July 17 but could be lessened, with full crowds an enticing option for the AFL.
In a letter seen by the Herald Sun, chief minister Michael Gunner’s letter to the AFL was signed off with the cheeky message: “Bring the Grand Final to Rioli country”.
Gunner made clear to the AFL that despite them setting up a Queensland hub they should consider what the Northern Territory had to offer.
“G’day from the safest place in Australia,” he wrote.
“My government is still very interested and well-placed to welcome the AFL community during the 2020 season. As previously discussed and in line with our hard border restrictions players/teams would need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival or at least not come into contact with the community, however after that period they would be able to travel freely and get out to see the best of the Territory.
“Footy without fans is barely footy at all. In the Territory fans would be able to attend games as long as physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place. This would be of economic benefit to both the AFL and the Territory. A half-full TIO Stadium or Traeger Park is always better than a completely empty MCG.”
AFLNT chief executive Stuart Totham said the Northern Territory was ready to accommodate up to six AFL clubs in a potential hub or host a number of fly-in, fly-out league teams to play matches before crowds of at least 3500
“We’re ready to go if the AFL decides we are an option to help them get these games out of the way,” Totham said on SEN.
“All through this COVID period, the (NT) Government, the AFL and other stakeholders have been talking about this opportunity of hubs or rotating teams through … those options have always remained open.
“I guess with increasing uncertainty in recent times (those options) push up the ladder in terms of what the options might be to get these games out of the way.
“We’re ready to go if that opportunity arises. That would be a huge opportunity for the community in Alice (Springs) and Darwin if we could get a bit more footy.
“We are a safe community. We have had no COVID community transactions at all through the whole crisis.”
The Demons have played West Coast in Perth in Round 1 so would be the perfect team to move into a Darwin hub to play the Queensland teams.
Teams might also be able to quarantine while also training away from the public and playing AFL games while in that protocol.
WHY GRAND FINAL SHOULD BE STAGED IN PERTH
Mitchell Woodcock
Glen Jakovich believes the AFL has a golden opportunity to cash in on West Australia’s easing crowd restrictions by holding the Grand Final in Perth.
The WA State Government announced on Monday that a full-house of 60,000 fans can attend football at the venue from July 18.
The MCG remains empty as Victoria struggles with an increasing rate of coronavirus cases.
Crowds of 30,000 at Perth Stadium are allowed from this weekend on but WA clubs will likely be trapped in Queensland for several more weeks if the hard border remains.
Jakovich said while other finals could potentially be played in other states should they have crowds, Perth Stadium was the best option for season’s decider.
“The AFL are in the business of making money and they’re not going to make money at the MCG if no one can go and watch a Grand Final,” the Eagles champion said.
“It’s a no-brainer. We have the most modern stadium in Australia, that holds 60,000 people, that’s electrifying when it holds 60,000 people there.
“And given their current situation, they’re going to have to tidy their backyard up very, very quickly.
“In 17 weeks is the Grand Final roughly … I wouldn’t think that’s enough time to be suffice that they’ve got no communal spread and no cases in Victoria to host a Grand Final of 60,000 or more people.”
Jakovich said the AFL would have no trouble filling Perth Stadium for finals football, with WA sports lovers to turn out in droves.
“If you got St Kilda playing North Melbourne in a final, for arguments sake, you would still get nearly 60,000 people here,” he said.
“Because Perth people love their sport and their footy and given the fact we haven’t been able to go to the footy, to give that as a reward for Western Australians doing the right thing with the COVID-19 practising behaviours, I know I’ll be going.
“We’ve had West Coast qualifying and preliminary finals and the atmosphere was unbelievable, so from that point of view the AFL are in the business of making money and if they want to salvage some revenue this year, they need to be looking at playing all the finals here in Perth. If they got hubs over here, it may not be a bad idea.”
VIRUS SPIKE REVIVES NSW HUB MOVE
Ben Horne
The AFL has refused to rule out shifting Melbourne clubs to a quarantine hub in NSW, but the drastic multimillion-dollar measure would be considered only as a last resort.
Revelations that the worsening COVID-19 health situation in Victoria had forced NRL club the Melbourne Storm to be based in NSW has sparked questions about whether it’s safe for the AFL to continue playing half its matches out of its Melbourne heartland.
The AFL still believes it can safely continue with the competition playing games in Victoria and later this week the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood Magpies are set to fly to Sydney to take on the Swans and Giants respectively, before returning home.
However, if the number of community transmissions continues to grow, the hub concept may need to be revisited, and a couple of months ago Sydney Olympic Park was strongly pushed as a possible village-style home for AFL teams.
Swans players were called into a meeting on Monday and instructed to stay vigilant with COVID-19 protocols., while an AFL ban on tackling at training has made the season rebuild confronting GWS even tougher.
Tackling will only be allowed in small groups, and Swans players were yesterday warned that McKenna’s situation should serve as a wake-up call, particularly as life in NSW feels as though it’s getting back to normal.
“We did have a small meeting today just before our game review and outlined those rules that are in place currently and what the AFL has just brought in,” Swans star Jake Lloyd said on SEN.
“The club has been very rigorous in what it has put forward to us as a playing group. It’s a tough situation I guess, but the AFL has prepared for this to happen. It’s unfortunate for Essendon.”
The Daily Telegraph understands the Swans have alternated between training in small groups comprised of players in different positions, and also training in their defensive, forward or midfield lines.
However, Sydney have enforced strict protocols around the training switches. Players would need to be tested and have received a negative result before they could change from training in their group to their line to minimise any potential grey area.
The Swans are confident they can continue to be flexible in how they prepare the team. However, GWS have been strictly sticking to only training players in small groups.
The Giants have carefully selected the three groups to ensure if one player contracted COVID-19, it would not wipe out an entire area of the field.
PIES, DOGS TO DODGE SAME-DAY TRAVEL
Sam Landsberger
Western Bulldogs and Collingwood will dodge the taxing travel itineraries for their trips to Sydney that the AFL has imposed on four other clubs since football’s restart.
The Bulldogs will fly to Sydney on Thursday for their clash against the Swans at the SCG that night and return on Friday morning.
Similarly, the Magpies will fly to Sydney on Friday for their clash against GWS at Giants Stadium that night and return on Saturday morning.
The Dogs and Pies are also set to lock in a scratch match against each other for players outside their AFL line-ups, which will be played at VU Whitten Oval on Saturday.
In Round 2 the AFL sent Essendon and North Melbourne on the same chartered flight to Sydney for their Sunday games.
The Bombers had to wait around in Sydney for three hours before their match while the Roos had to hang around afterwards as both teams then shared a flight home that night.
The Giants – who lost to the Dogs at Marvel Stadium on Friday night – were forced to spend Saturday in Melbourne waiting for the Swans to finish their game so the clubs could share a ride home.
The Dogs and Pies cannot fly home directly after their night matches because of the curfew at Sydney airport.
Premiership star Lachie Hunter will continue building towards his Round 6 return in Saturday’s scratch match against the Magpies.
Hunter was loaned out to an injury-depleted North Melbourne for Friday’s scratch match against his Bulldogs at the MCG to even up the numbers.
The best-and-fairest winner lined up on younger teammate Patrick Lipinski and then spent time on father-son Rhylee West in another quirk unique to 2020.
AFL’s plan to play games at alternative venues
Sam Landsberger and Lauren Wood
The AFL won’t hold West Coast and Fremantle hostage on the Gold Coast next month with both clubs allowed to return home after Round 5 if they will be forced into quarantine upon arrival in Perth.
The AFL had hoped to reveal Rounds 6 and 7 of the fixture on Monday, but scheduling boss Travis Auld conceded that would be pushed back until late this week.
The AFL is looking at playing games in Darwin, Tasmania and Canberra due to the easing of restrictions in those areas.
North Melbourne’s second home, Blundstone Arena in Hobart, is currently unavailable because the company that, for warranty purposes, must dismantle the cricket sightscreen has been unable to enter Tasmania due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
“We like the idea of getting games back into Darwin,” Auld said.
“And not just Darwin but Tasmania, the ACT and all those places we would normally play games.
“The notion of having crowds is obviously quite attractive as well. Now that we’ve got advice on that, we’ll certainly look at how we might factor that into the fixture.”
Eagles premiership coach Adam Simpson declared on Friday his club would not stay in the Queensland hub beyond the Round 5 game against Richmond if they had to quarantine on return.
Auld said he would grant Simpson’s request as the West Australian government and its tight border control continues to create roadblocks.
Those roadblocks were yesterday joined by the enormous hurdle that is Essendon’s suspended season due to Conor McKenna’s positive COVID-19 test.
“The short answer is no,” Auld said when asked whether he would force the WA clubs to extend their stay in the Queensland hub against their will.
“We’re certainly sympathetic to the situation that the Eagles and the Dockers are in. We have been working really closely with them.
“The certainty they’re looking for is the same certainty we’re looking for, which is what are the circumstances in which they can go back to Western Australia and need for them to quarantine.”
Port Adelaide, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast will not be required to relocate to Perth while Melbourne, Richmond and Essendon are considered unlikely because they would have already played a WA club.
That leaves all of Collingwood, Carlton, Geelong, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Sydney, GWS and Adelaide as clubs who could be sent west.
The AFL’s hopes of an October 24 Grand Final continue to fade on the back of the strict WA government, which could force a rolling bye, and McKenna’s positive test, which has suspended Essendon’s season.
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Originally published as Richmond given all clear to travel to Queensland and face West Coast as Victorian coronavirus numbers spike