AFL quarantine breach: Sydney Swan Elijah Taylor suspended for season after secret rendezvous
Sydney will support Elijah Taylor despite the youngster being suspended for the rest of the season for a COVID breach but that hasn’t stopped the club from relaying the reality of the poor decision to their player.
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Sydney has conceded Elijah Taylor’s deliberate and “foolish” decision to sneak his girlfriend into a Joondalup hub could have derailed the entire season.
And while Sydney will support the young player suspended until the end of the season, chief executive Tom Harley has lashed his decision as “naive” and a serious, blatant breach.
Harley said Taylor’s breach was much more serious than the incident that saw Steele Sidebottom’s four-match ban given its deliberate nature in a state with such tight restrictions as West Australia.
Nathan Buckley was also fined for his casual tennis hit with Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik, which risked exposure to AFL players.
Taylor will remain with the Swans in their hub, but thankfully his girlfriend’s limited exposure to anyone else in the hub means Sydney can play next week’s game against Fremantle after extra COVID tests.
She was escorted from the Joondalup resort by WA police on Friday night after members of Sydney’s hub became aware the 19-year-old was still in his room with his girlfriend.
“He invited his partner into quarantine, he knew it would be a breach and that’s basically the extent of it,” Harley said.
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“I would love to say there was something far more elaborate than that in it but it was a very, very, very foolish and naive decision on Elijah’s behalf.
“We were made aware. I don’t want to go into specifics, but he was confronted and they found the girl in Elija’s room. The facts are Elijah’s acts were intentional, he knew what was going on, he knew he was breaching and the consequences are extremely high.
“We are extremely well briefed on the protocols but also the consequences of non-compliance and the worst-case scenario is that the competition couldn’t go on.“
While Taylor could face more penalties from the Swans, Harley told 3AW the WA police would take no more action.
“That case is done, so there was an immediate investigation. Given the entry to clubs was under guidance from AFL police they needed to be satisfied there were no further risks to the rest of the community and they escorted Elijah’s partner out of the quarantine hotel we were in so it wouldn’t present any risk.”
The Swans train in small groups and had played the previous night so after more COVID testing their final Perth game will continue with players already in quarantine again this week.
WA premier Mark McGowan said he was disappointed by the AFL’s conduct through Taylor’s breach.
“It’s very disappointing,” McGowan said.
“The AFL gave us every assurance this wouldn’t happen. The Swans have let us down, the AFL has let us down.
“We’re disappointed in both organisations. I received an apology from the AFL this morning. I appreciate that.
“(But) they promised us this wouldn’t happen and they let us down.”
Hawthorn four-time premiership great Jordan Lewis believes Taylor should pay the Swans’ fine for his COVID-19 breach out of his own pocket.
The 19-year-old has been suspended for the rest of the 2020 season and the AFL imposed a $50,000 fine — $25,000 suspended — on the Swans, after he smuggled his partner into the club’s Perth quarantine zone.
With the $25,000 to be included in the Swans’ 2021 soft cap, Lewis said an apology from Taylor wasn’t good enough.
“You do the crime you pay the fine,” Lewis said on Fox Footy.
“If you are silly enough to do that and bring someone in that you clearly know is wrong, you’ve got to front up the bill.
“You’ve got to have your head under a rock (not) to understand it’s not right ... (with) the breaches (that) have already been made and the money that is still at stake for the AFL and the clubs.
“For that (fine) money to go into the (Swans’) soft cap next year, that can cripple clubs.
“He can pay it in installments ... there’s got to be some sort of accounatbility for the player, not just an ‘oh, I’m sorry’ and we move on.
“I know he’s been suspended for the year, but it’s not good enough.”
The Swans were forced to apologise to the people of Western Australia over the embarrassing breach of the state’s strict quarantine rules after Taylor’s partner entered the Swans’ zone at their resort in Perth, without authorisation. That was not only a breach of AFL return to play protocols, but more significantly, Western Australian quarantine regulations.
It is yet known if Taylor will pay a portion or all of the fine as Nathan Buckley, Brenton Sanderson and Trent Cotchin have done in recent weeks.
The club could also penalise Taylor further for the secret rendezvous.
Sydney became aware on Friday night that Taylor’s partner had visited the resort where the team and officials were undertaking a strict 14-day quarantine period.
The Swans alerted the AFL and WA police as soon as they discovered the breach.
While the WA Government won’t take the matter any further, the breach won’t help the AFL’s hopes of an easing of border restrictions ahead of the finals.
AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said clear breaches of policy would not be tolerated as the protocols were “the competition’s license to play.”
“The actions by Elijah not only breach the AFL’s protocols, but made it a police matter by breaching the Western Australian COVID-19 quarantine directions,” Dillon said.
“When in quarantine the rules are clear and there is no excuse for this breach.”
Taylor, 19, was recruited to the Swans as pick 36 in last year’s national draft from Perth. He had played four matches this season with the club, with his last one coming against Collingwood in Round 10.
Sydney chief executive Tom Harley said the club was “extremely disappointed” to find itself in this position as “our staff and players are all well aware of both the AFL protocols and the restrictions we are required to adhere to while in quarantine.”
“We have spoken to Elijah at length and he understands the seriousness of this situation, which has also been reiterated to the entire team.
“We also appreciate that the circumstances of this year are unique and challenging for everyone, and we will continue to provide support to Elijah, as well as our other staff and players who are away from their families.
“The club would like to unreservedly apologise to the WA community. Clearly the restrictions we are adhering to are designed to protect the community and any breach is unacceptable.”
WA police informed the club Taylor can continue his quarantine with the team, while his partner will also be required to quarantine for 14 days.
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