AFL, AFLPA to monitor virus ahead of St Kilda and Port Adelaide Shanghai clash
The AFLPA has stressed it will take every possible precaution on China’s coronavirus outbreak. The Shanghai match between St Kilda and Port Adelaide is still going ahead for now.
AFL
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The AFL Players Association has pledged to keep a “watching brief” on China’s worsening coronavirus outbreak before committing its members to play in the St Kilda-Port Adelaide clash in Shanghai on May 31.
The AFL maintained this week the match would go ahead, confident it would get the green light by world health authorities, given it was still four months away.
The AFLPA said yesterday it would liaise closely with the AFL, the two clubs and health organisations in the coming months, but stressed it would make a “thorough” risk assessment before allowing its players to travel to China.
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More than 6000 cases of the coronavirus have already been confirmed, with 136 confirmed deaths. There have been 84 confirmed cases outside China, including six in Australia.
Almost 70 of the cases have been confirmed in Shanghai - the venue of the AFL game in May - which is 800km from Wuhan, the locked-down epicentre of the coronavirus.
A spokesman for the AFLPA told the Herald Sun: “Given the match between St Kilda and Port Adelaide isn’t scheduled to be played in Shanghai until May 31, we will ensure a thorough process is in place to assess the risks to player safety and will maintain a watching brief on the situation.”
“The AFLPA will work with the AFL, Port Adelaide and St Kilda and take advice from relevant organisations regarding the risks to AFL players from the coronavirus outbreak in China.”
A decision on whether the Shanghai game proceeds would likely need to be made up to two months before the May 31 kick-off, given the logistic issues.
If the risk was deemed too great to take players and officials from both sides to China, the AFL would need to look at alternatives.
They could not reschedule the game in Melbourne on the weekend of Round 11, as the MCG and Marvel Stadium are already booked out on the Saturday and Sunday.
One option would be to play the game at Adelaide Oval, given it is free with the Crows taking on Greater Western Sydney in Sydney that weekend.
Port Adelaide told the Herald Sun yesterday it remained confident the game would take place as planned.
The AFL is keeping a very close eye on China’s coronavirus outbreak with its Shanghai match still on the fixture.
But the AFL said it would continue to work with health authorities and heed its cues from government in coming months.
“The AFL will take advice from the Australian government and World Health Organisation regarding any safety precautions related to the coronavirus,” it said in a statement.
“The St Kilda vs Port Adelaide match scheduled to be played in Shanghai on May 31 will go ahead as planned.
“The situation will continue to be monitored with the relevant health and safety precautions being exercised.”
A number of St Kilda players and staff members were struck down with a gastrointestinal illness in the lead-up to last year’s match, with the Saints forced to fly in reinforcements on the eve of the clash which the Power won by 70 points.