Jeff Kennett concedes Tasmania games ‘unlikely’ with the Hawks potentially facing a huge cost
Hawthorn remains hopeful but the Tasmanian government’s rigid border restrictions are making the likelihood of the Hawks touching down remote, a decision that could have major financial implications.
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Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has conceded the Hawks are unlikely to play any games in Tasmania this year — an outcome that could cost the club millions of dollars.
Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein declared on Wednesday that while the state’s border remained under constant review, the health of Tasmanians remained paramount over hosting AFL matches.
Hawthorn and North Melbourne are paid $8 million combined to play eight matches a year in the state.
“Obviously our borders and the restrictions that we have in place, certainly for the rest of the month, would mean AFL can’t be played here,” Gutwein said.
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“My key aim is to ensure the health and safety of Tasmanians.
“If it means the AFL can’t come here, unfortunately the AFL can’t come here.”
Kennett said it would be “a shame” for the Hawks — who along with North Melbourne have deals until the end of 2021 to play in the Apple Isle — if they were not able to play any games in Tasmania
“With the borders still being closed, which is a decision of Mr Gutwein and entirely up to him to decide what his priorities are, I think it is unlikely,” Kennett told the Herald Sun.
“We would definitely like to play there, but with the passing of every day and the retaining of the borders, it is less likely.
“It is a shame, but it is life, and football is not nearly as important as peoples’ health. I am still hopeful and until Mr Gutwein and the AFL say no, we will live in hope that we can still come and play there.”
Kennett said recently that talks to extend the club’s contract with the state remained on hold until they could be conducted in person.
The league is planning to announce the fixture for the final rounds of the home-and-away season as soon as Thursday, with Round 18 likely to remain a floating fixture to best accommodate the finals series.
The AFL is also considering a finals model that would allow the top-ranked teams nominate their preferred ground.
So teams could say they’d prefer to play a final at the Gabba, Metricon Stadium, Adelaide Oval or possibly even in Perth against a lower-ranked opposition.
While the next set of matches are not expected to be played every night, a compressed run of games is expected to be locked in.
The postponed Essendon v Melbourne clash — which was held over from Round 3 in the wake of Bomber Conor McKenna’s positive COVID-19 test — will also be scheduled between Round 15 and 18.
A third “transition hub” will be set up by the AFL should players such as Gary Ablett and Shane Edwards opt to travel to Queensland with an eye to playing in the finals series.
Ablett returned to Victoria last month to support his family, while Edwards’ partner is expecting their first child in coming days, with both Geelong and Richmond hopeful that the pair will rejoin the team hubs.
Plans are underway to establish a quarantine hub from September 1 which would allow players and family — should any more elect to travel — to complete the mandatory 14-day period before finals.
The AFL confirmed on Wednesday that Fremantle and Sydney temporarily relocate their players and staff to Cairns to play games at Cazaly stadium during rounds 15-18.
Matches will include both Fremantle and Sydney as well as a number of opponents flying into Cairns, including Melbourne is one club that will fly into the far north Queensland city to play both the Dockers and the Swans.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the AFL mini-hub would provide much-needed economic benefit for Cairns.
“We know the Cairns economy has been hit particularly hard by the global pandemic,” the Premier said.
“I hope Queenslanders will travel to Cairns to see the teams play and that fans will enjoy seeing the game played in the Tropical North.”
The AFL is also considering a finals model that would allow the top-ranked teams nominate their preferred ground.
So teams could say they’d prefer to play a final at the Gabba, Metricon Stadium, Adelaide Oval or possibly even in Perth against a lower-ranked opposition.
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Hawthorn is preparing to set up camp in a Barossa Valley hub after its stint in Perth comes to an end.
The Hawks will play West Coast on Sunday before travelling to South Australia to play Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in Round 13.
Alastair Clarkson’s team would then base itself at the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort – the same one that Adelaide players holed up in when completing their quarantine before footy’s restart in June – for as long as until Round 18.
It is understood that planning with local authorities is already underway for training grounds and facilities in the region.
he AFL announced the first clash of Round 14 on Tuesday afternoon — Melbourne to host St Kilda at Traeger Park in Alice Springs.
The league decided against scheduling the deferred Essendon-Melbourne clash at the same venue and will instead play that match in either Round 15 or 16.
West Coast and Fremantle could soon return to southeast Queensland, where 15 clubs will be based to close out the home-and-away season.
The league is set to announce Rounds 14-18 of the fixture later this week, potentially as soon as Thursday, with the final round to be a floating fixture.
Fremantle and Sydney are expected to be housed in Cairns for three weeks from Round 15, which begins on September 5.
Melbourne is expected to fly in and out of Cairns for two games, but other opposition teams to play in the far north Queensland city are yet to be named.
While the current footy frenzy of matches every night is not expected to be repeated in that stint, games are expected to be compressed with byes also spread across 10 teams.
The league is also still considering whether to schedule a bye between the final round and finals.
The Hawks could stay in South Australia and endeavour to fly to Tasmania to play a game in Launceston, which is still yet to be ticked off by the Tasmanian government,
Tasmanian authorities are still adamant that no matches would be played on the Apple Isle in August.
The Demons’ clash with the Saints was the first match to be locked in for Round 14, and will be held on Saturday August 29 at 7.40pm (AEST).
“As a club, we’re really excited to be heading back to Alice Springs this season,” Demons chief executive Gary Pert said.
“Traeger Park feels like a home ground for us, so it’s a great opportunity to get out there and showcase our game.
“We would also like to extend our thanks to the Northern Territory government for hosting this game through such challenging times.”
The “Heart of the Nation” game will be the third match to be held in the Northern Territory in a short period, with two Round 13 games to be played in Darwin in the lead-up to the Alice Springs game.
“Three AFL matches across eight days in the NT is a great way to showcase the Territory to a national audience and fantastic for local fans to have the opportunity to get to a match,” league head of clubs and broadcasting Travis Auld said.
“On behalf of the AFL, I would like to thank the NT Government for their ongoing commitment to football across the state.
“On the back of the two Darwin games it is fantastic to again play the Heart of the Nation game in Alice Springs.”
WHEN ABLETT, HOULI COULD COMPLETE QLD QUARANTINE
— Jon Ralph
Gary Ablett and Shane Edwards still have more than a fortnight to consider moving into Queensland hubs if they are to play the final two games as a warm-up to the finals series.
Geelong is still extremely hopeful Ablett will join the club in a hub, while Richmond’s Edwards is in Melbourne where his partner was expected to give birth over the weekend.
The AFL is expected to release Rounds 14-16 in the coming days.
Essendon plays in Darwin in Round 13 and Channel 7’s production team is in the Northern Territory for the Round 13 Darwin double-header so the Dons will stay in the state that weekend.
Melbourne is contractually obliged to play a game in the Northern Territory until 2024 so will receive its payment while North Melbourne and Hawthorn sweat on honouring contracts in Tasmania.
As revealed in the Herald Sun, the league will compress Rounds 14-16 before what are likely to be conventional Thursday-to-Sunday rounds from September 10-13 (Round 17) and September 17-20 (Round 18).
The league would then play a four-week finals series culminating in an October 17 night Grand Final.
The league will likely only charter one more flight into hubs where players can spend 14 days in quarantine before being free to play.
If Ablett and Edwards flew into Queensland in the last week of August they would be free to play two warm-up games before the finals.
Geelong coach Chris Scott believes Ablett will return but is not pushing him as he trains back in Geelong with former teammate Andrew Mackie.
“I am still very hopeful,” he said.
“But I am not sure Gary knows right at the moment, I am not quizzing him every day.
“It would defeat the purpose of him being back in Victoria doing what he needs to do with his family and what should be his priority so I will let you know when I know.”
Edwards has also been training in Melbourne and while there is no pressure on him to return, the expectation is at some stage he will re-join the Tigers.
Trent Cotchin will be ready to take on Gold Coast on Monday, while Bachar Houli will officially be out of his quarantine hub on Thursday and is keen to play.
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Geelong coach Scott said the Cats were hopeful of receiving a bye through that Round 14-16 period given their fixture that had included four games in 14 days.
“My understanding is the AFL were doing everything they can to get some sort of equity in terms of the breaks for teams. I think it’s prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
“Everyone in the industry will come away from this year and look back and say there were some things that made it easy for some teams and harder for others but we have to pay that price and make the most of what could be a bad situation and have empathy for the decision makers who are almost faced with an impossible situation.”
CAIRNS TO GET CROWD CLARITY FOR WHEN AFL GOES FAR NORTH
– Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Cazalys Stadium management will on Tuesday find out what type of crowd will be allowed when at least three AFL games come up to Far North Queensland.
The next round of fixtures for the 2020 season will be released this week, and Cairns will get as many as four games and two teams hubbing in Far North Queensland.
On Tuesday AFL Cairns will meet with Queensland Health officials where Cazalys Stadium management will find out just how many people will be allowed in for the games.
AFL Cairns boss Gary Young recently travelled down to the Gold Coast to watch how Metricon Stadium handled matches – and the COVID-19 protocols – ahead of the games coming up north.
“We are hoping for 4000 to 4500 people,” he said.
“Our capacity is 13,500 so we think that can work, we have a hill, a grandstand and corporate areas to spread people out.”
Numerous teams have been linked with travelling to Cairns for the match.
West Coast and Essendon are the latest in a list that includes Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong and North Melbourne.
Brisbane and Gold Coast could also play away games in Cairns.
“That would be great if the two Queensland teams could come up and play games,” Young said.
“There is a lot of excitement around at the prospect of games coming up here.”
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There have been eight AFL games at Cazalys Stadium, the last between the Suns and Kangaroos in Round 1 2018 where torrential rain lashed the ground.
The Suns have played in all eight games in Cairns, three against Richmond and four against the Western Bulldogs.
But arguably the most famous game to have been played at the venue was just its second in 2012 when Rugby League convert Karmichael Hunt kicked a goal after the siren to claim a stunning two point victory for the Suns over Richmond.