AFL stands firm on Shanghai game as F1 star Daniel Ricciardo backs postponing of Chinese GP
The coronavirus has claimed another sporting event following the postponement of Formula One’s Chinese GP. The development came as the clock continues to tick on the AFL’s deadline to make a decision on its China match.
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Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has endorsed a decision to postpone the Chinese Grand Prix due to the coronavirus outbreak.
It comes as the AFL sweats on updates from the Australian government and World Health Organisation ahead of its St Kilda and Port Adelaide game in Shanghai on May 31.
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The race was set to be staged in Shanghai from April 17-19 but Formula 1 officials called off the fixture as the deadly and currently incurable virus has mainland China paralysed.
The inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix (April 5) is also at risk of being postponed.
An AFL spokesman told the Herald Sun league and club officials would continue to meet “regularly” about the match at Jiangwan Stadium.
A decision on the Round 11 match-up is likely to be made before the 2020 AFL season starts on March 19, with commercial deals around the fixture the major sticking point.
The league has not officially spitballed the timing of a replacement game, but it is likely to be a stand-alone Thursday night affair leading into Round 11.
The AFL has kept it business as usual since the December 31 outbreak, with $70 reserved seating and luxury packages, including the $270 Barossa Australia Lawn tickets and the top-tier $596 Kennedy Match Day Function, still available on the Shanghai 2020 website.
Broader travel packages marketed at St Kilda and Port Adelaide fans start from $623, which include a match day ticket and tours of the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors.
While the rate of infection has reportedly slowed in China, British authorities confirmed London's first case of coronavirus.
The global death toll has soared beyond 1100 people, with the majority on mainland China, from more than 44,000 confirmed cases.
The AFL’s China experiment is up to a seven-figure money-spinner and networking opportunity for the league and both clubs.
St Kilda is contracted to play in China in 2021.
The PGA Tour Series-China has postponed four tournaments and two qualifying events because of concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
The Hong Kong Sevens tournament, scheduled for April 3-6, is set to be postponed until October.
The 22-race F1 season, which opens in Melbourne next month, will require massaging by motorsport officials to squeeze in a replacement for the Chinese Grand Prix.
It is the first time a race has been called off since political unrest led to the cancellation of the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I feel for the fans and everyone that’s going to miss out, but more importantly I feel for China, what they are going through at the moment with the virus,” Ricciardo told reporters at Renault’s showcase store in Paris.
“But on the flip side, I’m glad that some initiative has been taken and that we’re not putting anyone else at risk.”
Formula 1 officials had to act as teams send in equipment and personnel well in advance of races.
SAINT HOPES CHINA GAME GOES AHEAD
Lauren Wood
St Kilda forward Jack Billings wants another shot at playing in China after last year’s disaster voyage.
But he won’t take any risks.
The Saints’ Shanghai clash with Port Adelaide in Round 11 is under increasing doubt as coronavirus continues to sweep through China and abroad.
Billings, who with a number of teammates was felled in the lead-up to year’s clash with a gastro bug, said he had been anticipating a better experience this time around.
“I was crook last year and ended up playing, which I probably shouldn’t have because I didn’t eat for a couple of days beforehand and only had two bits of toast in the morning of the game because that’s all I could get down,” he said.
“I’m actually keen to go, because of the experience last year.
“I’m keen to have a good experience this year, and hopefully we can play a lot better and have a win. But having said that, it’s a no-risk policy.
“So obviously it’s up to the AFL and we sit tight and wait for the decision. Either way, just make the right call.”
Billings, 24, admitted he had kept a far closer eye on the coverage of the virus than he usually would.
“Your friends and especially your family, they’re constantly talking to you about it,” he said.
“The China game is a big investment for the club and the AFL.
“Naturally, you’re a bit more interested, because things might change.”
St Kilda head of football David Rath refused be drawn on whether he would be keen to attend if the situation continued in its current state.
“We’ll take what the AFL give us in that sense,” he said.
“They’re the ones that make the decisions and they’ll take all the information they need to. They’re talking to a lot of smarter people than we are, and that’s their decision to make.”