AFL: Latest news on how Covid-19, border closures is impacting AFL clubs
Despite a fifth lockdown in Melbourne, the AFL and MCC have given no consideration about moving the Grand Final from the ‘home of football’.
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The AFL is adamant that it has given no consideration about moving the Grand Final in late September, emphatic that the home of football will host the game.
Despite a fifth lockdown in Melbourne since the pandemic began the state government, AFL and MCC will be desperate to do whatever it takes to keep the game in Melbourne.
The league believes it would only need to move the game in catastrophic circumstances days before the game was held rather than weeks beforehand.
The league told the Herald Sun of the Grand Final venue: “The AFL Grand Final will be held at the MCG.”
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It comes as Geelong has asked the AFL if it can move its scheduled blockbuster Grand Final rematch against Richmond next round from the MCG to GMHBA Stadium.
The Cats flew back from Perth on Friday, following their win over Fremantle, and club chief executive Brian Cook approached league officials about a potential venue change.
The stadium call will hinge on a reduction in new COVID-19 cases next week and whether crowds can return to the football for Round 19.
Richmond played on the Gold Coast on Friday night, after a last-minute move away from the MCG, but Tigers chief executive Brendan Gale said “our expectation is we will be returning” (to Melbourne) on Saturday.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson revealed on Friday he had told his players to be ready to play anytime and anywhere in the ever-changing Covid landscape, including Saturday’s clash with Melbourne.
“At the moment, we’re playing the Demons at the ‘G (Saturday) afternoon, but we’ve told our players to be ready for any possible changes that could occur between then and now,” Clarkson said.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge admitted he had to make some quick calls on selection on Wednesday night when he learned they would be flow to Queensland early for Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast.
“It wasn’t confirmed until 9.30pm on Wednesday that we would be leaving early,” Beveridge said.
“I quickly created a WhatsApp group for the players who were picked, which was a fair way out from when we would normally finalise selection.
“Thankfully, I’d made all the phone calls with players who were coming in and out.
“I didn’t want anyone waking up not knowing they needed to be at the airport. That’s something you‘ve got to deal with.”
AFL’S QUARANTINE LIFELINE FOR STRANDED FAMILIES
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has offered Sydney-based loved ones of Swans and Giants players and staff the option of serving their two-week quarantine in the Northern Territory.
Geelong family members, including the Selwood and Guthrie clans, were among those who quarantined before last year’s Grand Final at the Howard Springs facility, on Darwin’s outskirts.
A transition hub in Queensland is still the AFL’s top priority for partners and families of the two Sydney clubs, but the NT alternative was presented for those who want to expedite the process.
In a wide-ranging online discussion on Friday with the Swans, Giants and their families and partners, McLachlan confirmed the league had lodged a lengthy submission for the hub with the Queensland Government.
The AFL’s executive general manager of clubs and broadcasting, Travis Auld, travelled to Brisbane on Thursday to lead government negotiations and was also on the Webex call.
About 100 people connected to the two clubs have expressed preliminary interest in being part of a transition hub.
The Swans and Giants are more than three weeks removed from being home because of the concerning Covid-19 situation in NSW, and on Thursday relocated from Victoria to Queensland to escape lockdown.
It’s understood the big difference in negotiations this time compared to last year is the more contagious Delta strain of the virus.
Part of the briefing included McLachlan assuring those on the call that the NRL’s rejection from the Queensland Government on Thursday night was a different situation to the AFL’s process.
The league has known for some time that this submission would have to be sophisticated and in-depth to win government approval.
It’s believed the two clubs are keen for partners and families to avoid a hard quarantine scenario for the 14 days they must complete before being free to join the teams.
They would still stay in an isolated hotel facility, but would ideally like to be able to move freely around to use conference spaces, meal rooms – where they could eat together – and a pool.
News Corp understands the AFL plans to outsource the job of overseeing the transition hub to a group with extensive military and quarantining experience that has worked with other sports.
That decision largely owed to the complexity of the Delta strain, which McLachlan is believed to have made a point of explaining during Friday’s briefing.
AFL head of mental health and wellbeing Kate Hall is another person involved in this process, while the league again sought former Australian Defence Force surgeon Tracy Smart’s advice on the transition hub.
The submission itself is incredibly detailed and runs roughly 60 pages deep, explaining how families and partners would be screened even before leaving Sydney and how they would mitigate any risk.
The strict protocols go to the extent of how a bus driver must exit the vehicle, while individual information will be requested on where people live, their potential exposure to red zones and whether they’ve tested positive previously.
The quarantine rules at the Howard Springs facility include being able to go outside to exercise for 20 minutes a day, and each room has a veranda to enable communication with others and fresh air.
Meanwhile, the Swans and Giants completed their main training sessions on Friday ahead of their rescheduled clash at Metricon Stadium on Sunday night.
Sydney trained at the Gabba, while Greater Western Sydney used Gold Coast’s facilities adjacent to Metricon Stadium.
The Giants are set to move into the Royal Pines Resort on Friday night, while the Swans will relocate from Brisbane onto the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Giants, Gill and Frozen? Inside dramatic Vic exodus
The ‘blast’ message went out on the Giants’ Teamworks app about 9.30pm on Wednesday.
Roughly 75 Greater Western Sydney players, coaches and staff who spent the previous three weeks in Melbourne were expected in a conference room at The Sofitel in the next half an hour.
Another Covid-19 relocation – this time to Queensland, the home of AFL football last year – was on the cards, with cases on the rise again in Victoria and the state on the verge of a fifth lockdown.
The request was easier for some than others, given it mostly required only a casual walk down some stairs. But a handful of members had to get a wriggle on.
Star midfielder Jacob Hopper – the man probably leading the Giants’ club champion award – his girlfriend Liv, Adam Kennedy and massage therapist Hayley Rawson had accepted tickets to Frozen The Musical.
They were at Her Majesty’s Theatre when the urgent message reached their phones.
There was another familiar face in the crowd, too: AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, whose phone was effectively attached to his ear on this night.
McLachlan alerted Sydney-based GWS CEO Dave Matthews about a plane being ready for them on Thursday, while another prominent league official, Rob Auld – who’s stepped up since Steve Hocking finished as football operations manager – called Giants football boss Jason McCartney.
Those interactions happened shortly after 9pm, following a GWS Zoom call with players’ partners and families to brief them on the potential transition hub that all concerned hope will be organised soon.
About 100 loved ones, between the Swans and Giants, have expressed interest in being part of that hub, but the final numbers may end up being fewer if it does go ahead.
Queensland is now the likeliest option to host a transition hub for the two Sydney teams’ partners and families.
Only a few hours earlier, McCartney – having finished dinner with friends in Moonee Ponds – was trying to find out the hub latest from Auld in what was then a fairly casual conversation.
McCartney mentioned how much easier moving would be this time, compared to the circumstances when they had three hours to organise everyone for a mad dash from Sydney to Melbourne.
They packed for a fortnight, but it’s now three weeks and counting, with no prospect of returning home yet.
“It was just a throwaway line,” McCartney told The Daily Telegraph, as he watched a light team training session at Brisbane’s Yeronga Oval.
“I basically said we were up for it, then, as it turned out, they got a bit more information and here we are.
“I didn’t think Melbourne would go into a snap lockdown. One of our concerns, which is low on the bigger scheme of things, was I thought we might struggle being under restrictions in Melbourne.”
The opportunity to continue moving freely in Brisbane, as the Giants were in Melbourne until this latest coronavirus outbreak, was far more appealing.
The Swans, like GWS, were due to have their main training session on Thursday, but the Covid chaos put paid to that.
They didn’t train at all but have booked the Gabba for Friday, while the Giants basically just turned the legs over for 40 minutes and will also hold their main session on Friday.
The Sydney Derby was supposed to be a 1.45pm Saturday match at chilly Ballarat but will now be at 6.10pm on Sunday at Gold Coast’s Metricon Stadium.
Both clubs were on the lookout for coffee early on Thursday.
The Swans’ bus left The Como at 7am, while the Giants were airport-bound not long after that, with an 8.45am flight scheduled to fly them to Brisbane.
The flight ended up taking off closer to 10am.
Giants trio Jack Buckley (knee), Will Shaw (shoulder reconstruction) and Tom Hutchesson (hamstring) are dealing with long-term injuries and didn’t join the rest of the team on the flight.
But every Sydney player and staff member made the trip north.
Some Western Bulldogs players and staff were in the terminal at the same time, as they prepare to take on the Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
North Melbourne and Richmond have settled in with GWS at The Pullman Brisbane, in what may or may not be a short-term stay.
Both McCartney and Swans chief executive Tom Harley poured praise on the AFL and its otherwise low-profile head of procurement, Michael Thorn, for their support in trying times.
“The AFL’s been phenomenal for us. I’m not sure what the Swans are thinking, but they’ve been outstanding for us,” McCartney said.
“This will sound strange, but, in a weird way, there’s a bit of excitement. You’ve just got to roll with it – there’s no sense fighting it – and the alternative is being in lockdown.”
What will shock NRL family ruling mean for AFL clubs?
Sydney’s two AFL clubs remain optimistic they will soon be reunited with loved ones despite their NRL counterparts copping a shock government rejection on Thursday night.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is expected to provide an update on the situation on Friday, after the Swans and Giants relocated from Melbourne to Brisbane on Thursday morning.
The latest Victorian Covid-19 lockdown, which will last until at least Tuesday night, meant a series of changes to this week’s AFL fixture and saw various clubs travel north in anticipation.
Queensland is the likeliest option for a transition hub for partners and families of players and staff at the two Sydney teams, but it might not be straightforward if the NRL’s experience is any gauge.
A charter flight was booked for Saturday to jet families of relocated NRL clubs to the Gold Coast.
However, News Corp revealed on Thursday night that NRL boss Andrew Abdo told impacted clubs and families the Queensland government would not provide an exemption for them to travel from greater Sydney.
“It means you will not be travelling as planned on Saturday, but it does not mean you will not be able to reach Queensland,” Abdo wrote in the email.
“The government would now like more individual information and more information about our quarantine facility and Covid-safe plans before they approve our submission.
“We are hopeful you will make it to the Gold Coast within a week.
“Over the coming days, we will be working day and night to provide the information required on our quarantine arrangements to ensure the Queensland community remains safe and healthy.”
Abdo said he would still try to get families and partners not in coronavirus hot spots on the NRL charter flight this weekend.
The Swans and Giants have been out of Covid-stricken Sydney for more than three weeks, and club officials continue to work hard to try to reconnect players and staff with their partners and families.
Sydney chief executive Tom Harley reiterated on Thursday that it remained a top priority for them, as it is for Greater Western Sydney.
It is hoped the AFL’s significant experience last year with hubs and understanding of the level of information required to appease governments will avoid a similar scenario to what the NRL is facing.
The AFL was contacted for comment on Thursday night.
TIME FOR AFL TO PUT FAMILIES FIRST: DANGER
AFL Players’ Association president Patrick Dangerfield says the football industry needs to get better at how it “brings partners and families along for the ride” as the Swans and Giants seek to be reunited with their loved ones.
Acknowledging the challenge facing Swans and GWS players and staff locked out of Sydney due to the city’s Covid outbreak, Dangerfield said the league needed to make sure families were not just a “second thought”.
“First and foremost it’s a really challenging time for the Sydney players and there is no end in sight with where Covid is at within Sydney,” Dangerfield said on SEN.
“It’s a bit of groundhog day with last season how initially everything started out as 32 days and ended up being what it was.
“Unfortunately we are in the same position this year where there is no end in sight.
“I think the key is we have got to be better — all of us — how we bring partners and families along for the ride and keep them updated with information to make sure that it’s not just a second thought to ‘Oh, they’ll be fine and we’ll deal with that when we come to the issue if we can’t get back into Sydney or whatever it is’.
“They are clearly the learnings out of it that we need to be better at taking families along for the ride because it can be a really taxing and stressful time for partners and the Sydney clubs and families are going through that now.”
Swans coach John Longmire said on Wednesday said his club was still waiting to hear when families could fly into a transition hub in Melbourne.
“It’s probably the authorities outside the AFL that will have the ultimate say, so we’re fully aware of that,” he said.
“The AFL are working behind the scenes trying to get it done for both (NSW) clubs and we just hope there is a solution to it at some point.
“Or at least some certainty to what it might look like.
“In the mean time we do what we do and we concentrate on what we do and get into the footy stuff.
“We’re playing in Ballarat this week against the Giants, so that’s what we’re focusing on.”
Swans co-captain Dane Rampe says he would support any teammate that decides to leave Melbourne and return home to New South Wales.
“I think we’d be naive to think there aren’t blokes who are considering the possibility of potentially going back provided that we might be here until the end of September,” Rampe said.
“Personally, I’d support anyone’s decision because everyone’s position is unique to their own.
“As a club we haven’t sat down and discussed what that looks like but personally I’d have no problem with supporting the players in whatever they choose.”
JESINTA ON STANDBY TO JOIN BUDDY IN HUB
Lance Franklin’s wife Jesinta and two young children are part of the Sydney touring party awaiting AFL approval to fly into a transition hub in Melbourne in coming days.
High-level discussions continued on Tuesday between the league and state governments as the AFL pushes to establish a hub that would house families and partners of Swans and Giants staff, players and coaches.
The AFL had looked to set-up a 14-day quarantine for partners in a Queensland resort — in a similar fashion to last year’s hubs — before flying them to Melbourne.
But hopes of transitioning through Queensland have faded.
Many of the suitable Gold Coast resorts have already booked by the NRL — which is shifting out of NSW — and the Victorian government is understood to be keen to host the quarantining group in Victoria.
The touring party of loved ones — less than 150 people — are on standby to fly out of Sydney as soon as the league can find a resolution.
The AFL would cover the financial hit and look to utilise a self-enclosed hotel or resort with a communal dining room and green space for children.
The families would have to undergo multiple Covid tests during their isolation.
After the 14-day quarantine, they could then move into serviced apartments or Airbnb houses for a short-term stay until the season is over, or the Sydney lockdown ends.
Franklin is among the group of senior Swans making sacrifices with family in Sydney, with Jesinta giving birth to son Rocky in March.
The AFL superstar hasn’t seen his three-month-old son or daughter Tullulah for three weeks, with Sydney aware it must reunite players with their families before the separation reaches a critical stage.
No matter which state the touring party hubs in, families would need to quarantine for 14 days from a red zone, but could have some degree of freedom in a transition hub rather than two weeks in a small hotel room.
When the idea of hubs in Victoria was first considered last year, venues including RACV resorts in Healesville and Torquay were considered for clubs setting up camp in Melbourne.
Sydney chief executive Tom Harley and GWS CEO David Matthews have both conceded their clubs could be based in Victoria for the rest of the home-and-away season
The Sydney Derby provides the Giants’ biggest windfall of any match and having to host it in Ballarat on Saturday will cost them a six-figure amount.
Both clubs are also set to effectively sacrifice another two home games each in the final five rounds, adding to their combined $10 million financial hit last year.
Another complication is that GWS is one regular season game short of meeting its annual Canberra quota. That deal is worth more than $2 million to the Giants each season.
They are supposed to play one pre-season match and three home-and-away contests every year in the nation’s capital, but already had their pre-season game this year scratched.
GWS is looking at roughly a $700,000 loss if, as expected, that third Canberra game isn’t fulfilled against Port Adelaide in Round 20 or Richmond in Round 22.
The Swans aren’t in quite as bad a situation, with the earlier swap of home games that saw them face St Kilda at the SCG in Round 12 now proving hugely advantageous.
Sydney’s rescheduled match at GMHBA Stadium a fortnight ago attracted 9520 fans, buoying Swans decision-makers to the point they would like to play their other two home games there as well.
The Geelong venue gave Sydney a strong platform for its sponsors, whereas the Giants were largely unable to fulfil those obligations at Ballarat last weekend, costing them even more.
AFL PLOTS TO MAKE REGIONAL VIC DREAM A REALITY
The AFL and state government will continue to eye the possibility of playing games in regional venues such as Bendigo and Shepparton after shifting the Sydney derby to Ballarat.
As revealed by News Corp, Sydney and its superstar Lance Franklin will take on Greater Western Sydney at Mars Stadium on Saturday as part of a deal with the Victorian Government.
It comes as the league scrambles to reunite Giants and Swans players with their families.
The financial arrangement allows the Giants will host arch rival Sydney at Ballarat rather than Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium — a ground the Swans have turned into a stronghold away from home.
For matchwinner Franklin it will be the 15th venue of his decorated career, but he could soon add another regional venue in coming weeks.
The Victorian government is eager to transfer games to venues including Bendigo, Shepparton and Wangaratta as part of its desire to boost tourism in regional centres.
While it will not happen in Round 18 there are ample opportunities given Sydney and the Giants could be based in Melbourne for the rest of the season following Sydney’s battle with Covid-19.
The league’s priority has not yet brokered a deal on how they would fly Giants and Sydney players’ families into Melbourne under current border restrictions.
They are on standby in NSW for travel that could include a two-week stay on the Gold Coast as a stop-off point before a flight to Melbourne.
The league is investigating whether it could use a hub-style arrangement that would see the families quarantining with some freedom rather than a 14-day Melbourne hotel lockdown.
The NSW border to Queensland is not yet closed, which could allow the families to escape Sydney and even spend 14 days out of quarantine before then flying to Melbourne.
The AFL would foot the bill for any two-week hotel quarantine requirements before settling them into Victoria for what could be the remainder of the season.
The Swans are adamant that, while it will work on each individual’s issues on a case-by-case basis, it does not yet have a player or staff member who wants to go home.
It’s understood the partners of four Giants players are already in Melbourne, including one who spent a fortnight in regional NSW – outside of the Covid hot spots – before heading to Victoria.
One was able to catch a later flight on the same night as the players and staff from both clubs almost three weeks ago, while another drove to Victoria because she is pregnant.
Young Giant Bobby Hill’s partner, Georgia, is due to give birth to their child in December but is still in Sydney. There is no indication Hill plans to head back to Sydney.
The 11 Swans who were originally stranded in Sydney — before basing themselves in Newcastle — have been in Melbourne since July 3 and came out of quarantine late last week.
Members of that group, including prized draftee Logan McDonald, played in the VFL on Sunday.
The two Sydney clubs will have spent three weeks in Melbourne by Tuesday night.
Longmire, who has three children, addressed the “challenges” after Sunday’s win over Western Bulldogs, revealing that a club doctor would have to return to Sydney.
Some players and staff didn’t have enough time to say goodbye to family before the mad dash to Melbourne.
“It’s obviously looking highly unlikely we’ll be back for a while – that’s the first part we’d like to be able to happen, but if we can’t do that, we’d love to be able to have our families close to us,” Longmire said.
“But we know that’s got its challenges as well. We’ll just hopefully keep working through that with the AFL and the authorities and see what we can do.”
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