AFLW fixture for 2021: Perth lockdown set to impact teams

The AFLW season is facing more disruption after Perth was plunged into a five-day lockdown — and the AFL could also be hit.

The AFL has made changes to the AFLW fixture. Picture: Getty Images

The AFLW season could be thrown into chaos after Perth headed into a five-day hard lockdown following the positive COVID-19 test of a hotel quarantine security guard.

As the AFL closely monitors the situation, the competition could be forced into another rewrite of its fixture, or potentially consider a hub for the two West Australian teams.

Greater Western Sydney is currently hubbing in Adelaide after leaving its home base on January 1 to avoid Sydney’s COVID outbreaks.

It’s understood the AFL is in talks about potential ramifications for the season.

Both GWS and the Crows played their Round 1 matches in Perth this weekend (Adelaide beat the Eagles by 38 points on Saturday and GWS were beaten by Fremantle on Sunday by 30 points).

On Sunday night, both Adelaide and GWS were scheduled to return to SA from Perth together on a chartered flight at 5.20pm local time; 40 minutes before the city is sent into lockdown.

The AFL will also wait and watch the response of other Australian states and whether state governments impose border restrictions on people entering from WA.

Sophie McDonald and her Eagles teammates are facing another COVID disruption.

Both West Coast and Fremantle are due to play their Round 2 games against Adelaide and GWS respectively at Adelaide’s Norwood Oval this coming weekend.

Should the South Australian Government shut its borders to residents from Perth, the matches couldn’t proceed as planned.

There could be added complications if the hard lockdown means the Eagles and Dockers women’s teams are prevented from training this week in the lead-up to Round 2.

The WA lockdown is also set to have a significant impact on West Coast and Fremantle’s training schedules over the next week.

An AFL spokesperson said: “The health and safety of everyone in the game and in the wider community remains the priority and the AFL will continue to be led by government and health officials”.

It was on Sunday night believed the Eagles and Dockers would have to adhere to the state’s exercise restrictions, meaning players from the two clubs would only be able to train for one hour and only with one other teammate for the next five days.

It will limit the players to running, circuit exercises and weights, and simple skills work in what was already a shortened preseason period.

West Coast star Tim Kelly during a pre-season training session in January. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

The restrictions are a setback for the two clubs as they planned to ramp up preparations for the preseason scratch matches later in February and the official preseason game in early March.

West Coast and Fremantle were still hopeful the AFL regular season would kick off as planned in mid-March if the state can contain any outbreak.

But it is a nervous time for the AFL which could be forced to tweak the regular season fixture if there is community spread throughout Western Australia in the 28 days leading up to Round 1.

It means officials will sweat WA getting the situation under control by mid February to help ensure there is no community transmission in the lead-in to the season opener.

UPDATED AFLW FIXTURE REVEALED

- Rebecca Williams

The AFL has been forced to make changes to the opening two rounds of the AFLW fixture in a bid to navigate border restrictions around the country.

Ahead of the season kick-off next week, the league announced adjustments on Friday to two matches in the opening round and four matches in the second round.

While the season-opener between Collingwood and Carlton at Ikon Park on January 28 remains unchanged, the league has swapped the match-ups between Melbourne, Adelaide, West Coast and Gold Coast in the first round.

The Suns will now play the Demons at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, January 30, while the Eagles will now host the Crows in Perth that evening.

Melbourne had originally been slated to host Adelaide at Casey Fields and the Suns were due to host the Eagles at Metricon Stadium.

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The AFLW has changed its fixture for Rounds 1 and 2. Picture: Getty Images

In round two, the GWS Giants will now take on the West Coast Eagles at Norwood Oval instead of Melbourne and Collingwood will play Gold Coast at Victoria Park instead of Fremantle as originally scheduled.

Melbourne will now meet Richmond at Casey Fields instead of GWS and Adelaide will take on Fremantle at Norwood Oval instead of the Suns.

The AFL said it continued to closely monitor the situation involving borders and would take advice from public health officials and medical experts before announcing further rounds of the revised fixture in the coming weeks.

AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said the revised fixture gave the league maximum flexibility to ensure the least disruption for all clubs and players.

She added the league was committed to delivering a full AFLW season.

“The adjustments made to the first two rounds provides certainty into the early part of the season and allows the competition to remain as adaptable as possible as the season progresses in a constantly changing environment,” Livingstone said.

Carlton will kick off the AFLW season. Picture: AAP Images

“Throughout the planning process we listened to and worked closely with each stakeholder to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone in the game. We openly acknowledge there are unique challenges and recognise the non-football commitments of both AFLW players and staff and through this open dialogue we know the AFLW community remains determined to work through them to achieve a full season.

“While COVID-19 continues to impact the community, the health and welfare of our players and the community remains the priority and we remain committed to delivering a full season in a safe manner.”

The AFL had scheduled a nine-round home-and-away season plus a three-week finals series for the women’s league in 2021.

All matches will be fully ticketed for the first time this year.