Covid in sport: AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan’s stark warning for all codes as Omicron cases rise

The rise in Covid cases across Australia will put even more pressure on the nation’s major sporting codes, which has prompted a stark warning from AFL boss Gillon McLachlan.

At a meeting of Australian sport’s most powerful minds recently, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan delivered a stark warning to his colleagues.

Having battled through two years interrupted by Covid, with player bubbles, charter flights, no crowds and mass financial strains the AFL CEO could see what was coming next.

“2022 will be our toughest year yet,” he told them.

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In the room were leaders and executives from all of Australia’s major sports: NRL, AFL, Cricket Australia, Rugby Australia, Netball Australia, Football Australia and Tennis Australia.

The pandemic is no longer on Australian sports’ doorstep.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan had a stark warning for all sporting codes in Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

It’s in the living room and the kitchen and it’s setting up camp in the backyard. It is the house guest that will never leave.

There are not enough player bubbles, vaccine boosters or face masks to prevent the fact Australian sport in 2022 is going to be dictated wholly and solely by Covid.

No game is safe. No fixture is set in stone. 

Just look at the NBL who have now postponed three regular season games, including Brisbane’s Boxing Day derby with Cairns, because Bullets players tested positive to Covid — possibly transmitted to them during a previous game with Illawarra.

These are dangerous times for sport. For codes such as basketball, netball, football and to an extent rugby — they don’t boast the enormous broadcast funds to afford private charter flights for teams or large squads of players that can ensure the game must always go on.

The NBL has had to postpone three games due to Covid. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Postponing games is now the only option. The squeeze to finish every game of the season is going to be immense.

In the AFL, clubs have rosters large enough for games to be able to continue weekly but at what point will coaches demand a postponement because four, five, six or even 10 senior players are ruled out as positives or close contacts.

The NRL has three clubs in Queensland where sometimes it feels like Queensland Health determine close contacts as being anyone who stepped foot in the same postcode as a positive case. Share a flight with a Covid passenger — that’s one week out.

With so many professional sporting teams flying in and out of Queensland, it’s not if or when but how many athletes are forced into isolation next year.

The biggest codes will get an early look at the new way of life when their women’s leagues begin in earnest in the New Year.

The NRL had its players in hubs in Queensland for the majority of last season. Picture: Lachie Millard

AFLW and NRLW both suffered total shut down due to Covid in 2021, now they will be the guinea pigs to managing life with the virus rampant in every city.

Pat Cummins showed just how easily it can be to get forced into isolation and miss important sporting contests when he was deemed a “close contact” in Adelaide and sat out the second Test.

The Australian Test cricket captain won’t be the last high-profile star to fall victim to the ever-shifting Covid landscape. 

It could be an Origin game, a grand final, a playoff or even a Winter Olympics.

Big names will miss big moments. Tough calls will be made, dreams will be shattered. But the show simply must go on.

Alarm bells ringing as cross team infection feared

The NBL has been rocked by likely transmission of Covid between players at different clubs as a further three games were postponed due to positive tests.

In a move that will cause alarm bells around all Australian sport, the NBL has uncovered a potential case of cross team infection between Illawarra Hawks and Brisbane Bullets.

The Hawks announced on Thursday they had returned positive Covid tests among players forcing the cancellation of their clash with South East Melbourne Phoenix scheduled for that same night.

The Bullets v Hawks game is likely a cross team Covid infection spreader.

As the Bullets were the last team to play the Hawks, last Sunday, Queensland Health deemed the players “close contacts” and ordered follow up testing.

Some of those tests since returned positive.

As a result the NBL has postponed Brisbane’s Boxing Day clash with Cairns Taipans while the Hawks’ next two games — against Sydney Kings on December 31 and Cairns on January 2 — have also been postponed.

“As the Brisbane Bullets were the last team to play Illawarra, Queensland Health deemed Brisbane close contacts and ordered follow-up testing. Positive results have since been returned from Brisbane thus the Boxing Day game between Brisbane and the Cairns Taipans has been postponed,” the NBL said in a statement.

Our Illawarra Hawks have unfortunately been forced to postpone two more home #NBL22 fixtures due to COVID-19 protocols.

Read the story here: https://t.co/cU5whjQorB#WeAreIllawarra#FlyAsOnepic.twitter.com/44ZTlnKHRH

— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) December 24, 2021

“All games will be rescheduled.

“Illawarra and Brisbane players and staff are double vaccinated.

“The health and safety of the players, coaches, clubs, staff and fans is the League’s number one priority when considering these matters.

“The NBL will continue to follow the advice of governments and health authorities. Regular testing of all players and staff will continue, while further testing will be carried out on individuals impacted or those deemed close contacts.”