AFL Covid news: Follow the latest fixture updates and how your club is being impacted by lockdowns
It appears increasingly likely fans will need to follow Covid vaccination rules to attend the footy next year. See what is set to be required.
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Footy fans wanting to attend AFL games in 2022 appear increasingly likely to require proof they are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
But there is almost no chance vaccine passports will be introduced in time for this year’s finals series because it would unfairly lock out supporters who are still ineligible to receive the injections.
The nation’s bungled vaccine rollout program has been marred by a lack of supply but it is expected all Australians would’ve had the chance to get vaccinated long before the start of next season.
That would empower the Federal Government to ratify vaccine passports for major events such as AFL games by round 1 next year.
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On Sunday Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared to subtly endorse the concept without referring to it as a vaccine passport.
“It‘s pretty straightforward,” Morrison said in a virtual address to the Queensland Liberal National Party State Council.
“If you‘re vaccinated, you present a lesser risk to public health than those who are not vaccinated, and you’re at greater risk of serious disease and indeed fatality from Covid.
“For those who‘ve taken the decision to get vaccinated, then there should be the ability for them to be less, less imposed upon in terms of the restrictions, because they’ve taken the decision to improve the public health position of the country.”
Several AFL clubs expect vaccine passports to be required for fans attending games next season.
It would help safeguard clubs against playing games at empty stadiums which smash their budgets – in a normal year Melbourne would’ve banked $750,000 from hosting Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.
But vaccinations remain a sensitive topic for parts of the community and rubberstamping a passport program for fans wanting to attend footy matches would stir emotions and ignite widespread debate.
Fans unvaccinated could still attend games if they have recently tested negative to coronavirus under one idea floated.
It was globally feared vaccine passports would open up a human rights and legal minefield and create a two-tiered society.
But overseas they are taking off and the United Kingdom is now considering only allowing double-jabbed people to attend any event with more than 20,000.
The English Premier League season begins in September and clubs will use pre-season friendly games to help trial certification.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government said vaccine passports would not only allow incentivise people of all ages to get immunised, but also allow stadiums to return to full capacity.
Qantas plans to implement a “no jab, no fly” policy on all its international flights.
Israel, the world’s vaccination rate leader with 64 per cent of its population given at least one dose, is likely to reinstate its Green Pass program on Thursday.
The pass is required to enter public spaces such as sporting events, restaurants, gyms, swimming pools and synagogues.
Koch urges AFL to adopt bold Covid move
— Jon Ralph
Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has backed a “no jab, no entry” proposal for the return of AFL crowds, saying proof of vaccination should be required as a condition of attendance.
With outbreaks of the Delta strain bringing lockdowns in three states and with crowds banned for matches in Victoria, Koch said the AFL might be forced to follow other organisations throughout the world and make it mandatory for patrons to be vaccinated.
“I’d be very happy for that,” Koch told 3AW.
“It happens in the UK, it happens in the United States (and) you can’t go to the theatre without showing you’re vaccinated.
“The only way we are going to get over this – and I get trolled all the time by people who have a different opinion to me – but my view is the only way to beat this is to get vaccinated.
“Just (like) when I was a kid, I was forced to have the polio injection to eradicate polio … just as I had to get yellow fever (vaccinations) if I had to travel to Africa or South America.
“This is no different.
“You get vaccinated because we are in the middle of the pandemic, the only way to do it is to increase the vaccination rates.
“You do it to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community, and also to basically show some gratitude for being lucky enough to live in this country.”
Koch conceded Port Adelaide’s final home game of the season against Carlton in Round 22 was unlikely to go ahead at Adelaide Oval, conceding the Power could remain away from home for some time, depending on Covid numbers in South Australia and elsewhere.
“It is doubtful we will play our last home game against Carlton at home,” he said.
He said the current fixture issues for the AFL was a “nightmare” to co-ordinate as it worked through the minefield of border closures and shutdowns.
Koch also refused to rule out maintaining a connection with China deep into the future, with the club’s commitment to play a home game there each season halted by the pandemic and escalated political tensions between the two countries.
“I don’t think you would say (it is) forever off the cards,” Koch said.
“We didn’t see (Covid) coming and affecting travel plans for a number of years and also the rapid deterioration in the political relationship between Australia and China.”
“If the political situation normalises and the health conditions of the pandemic normalises, I would expect (we would try and go back). We have built some great connections.”
Jesinta joins Buddy, AFL begins vaccine push
The AFL has formulated a vaccine working group to educate players about safeguarding the league as some NFL players in America rebel against a strong vaccination push.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Friday the league had not yet considered a vaccination passport for fans to attend games because there was not enough supply in Australia.
In the NFL, players were told if games could not be rescheduled for the upcoming season following Covid delays, teams might have to forfeit, leading to an angry response from a handful of players.
But the AFL is confident players will want to get vaccinated when able to, and has put together a working group which will help educate them over the summer.
The expectation would be that players should all be vaccinated by Round 1 next year, with the group consisting of league executives and members of its medical team.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan told 3AW he was double-vaccinated and is hopeful the league’s players will soon jump on board when supply allows.
“It hasn’t been an issue because of supply. We have made a decision as a league, the priority is vulnerable groups to get vaccinated first. We have never considered going ahead of those. As supply (issues) come off the table we have a working group formulating an education program so all of our industry can get the information they need around vaccination to make an informed decision and as supply comes on, we will be encouraging all of our players and staff to get vaccinated.”
Gold Coast president Tony Cochrane told News Corp on Thursday the league should embrace vaccine passports to encourage fans who were fully vaccinated to attend finals games in greater numbers.
In the NFL, with the season less than two months away, and with vaccines freely available, some teams only have 50 per cent of their players fully vaccinated.
Others have already reached an 85 per cent threshold, but roughly a quarter of players are not yet vaccinated.
Buddy close to reunited with family
Swans superstar Lance “Buddy” Franklin moved 14 days closer to reuniting with his wife Jesinta and young children on Thursday after more than four weeks apart.
Mum-of-two Jesinta carried four-month-old son Rocky through Brisbane airport on Thursday as part of 100-strong contingent of Sydney and Greater Western Sydney partners and families that flew into Queensland to join an AFL hub.
It’s understood the former Miss Universe Australia and the group will spend the first 48 hours of the 14-day quarantine period in hard lockdown in a Brisbane hotel before extra space is made available for work, home schooling and children’s play.
As News Corp revealed on Wednesday, they won’t be able to swim in the pool, use the gym or mix with other hub-goers outside of three meal times during their quarantine period.
The families and partners can only walk around the facility with people they are rooming with on the same hotel level.
Franklin and his Swans teammates, as well as the Giants, flew out of Sydney’s Covid-19 lock down for Melbourne on June 22, and then were relocated to Queensland last week.
Franklin and Jesinta have two children — one-year-old Tullulah and Rocky.
Giants coach Leon Cameron said ruckman Braydon Preuss and teammate Bobby Hill, who returned to Sydney on Monday to be with his pregnant partner Georgia, were also part of the group that flew to Brisbane yesterday.
“The AFL and Queensland Government have done a wonderful job. It’s such a huge challenge and huge thing to organise, with so much going on – it’s not just us and the Swans,” Cameron said.
“They fly in today and quarantine for 14 days, but no doubt when that comes to fruition … it’s going to be a huge boost.
“That’s only human for both sides and we’ve been on the road for four-and-a-half weeks.
“We’re disappointed we lost a couple of close games, but our spirits are high, we know we’re still right in this season … and we’re putting all our energy into that Essendon game on Sunday night.”
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