What Perth Covid scare means for AFL grand final
Gillon McLachlan has spoken as a positive Covid case in Perth is threatening to derail the Grand Final. Will the AFL make it?
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Gillon McLachlan is backing Western Australian health officials to ensure a Covid-19 scare does not derail Saturday’s grand final at the last minute.
The AFL chief conceded that news of a positive case in the state on Wednesday had him fearing the worst just three days out from the Melbourne-Western Bulldogs clash.
WA officials are confident that the truck driver who entered the state late last week and tested positive was an isolated incident.
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“We are doing everything we can to make sure it (the grand final) takes place,” McLachlan said on Thursday.
“There are only two days to go so we are very, very confident.
“With Covid you never know what is around the corner but we are very confident that there are no cases and the game will go ahead.”
McLachlan said he was supremely confident in WA authorities.
“I think their history speaks for itself - we work with the government and take advice,” he said.
“Clearly there was a thought that it has been that year, but we leave it to the people who know what they are doing and take their advice.
“So we are confident here, excited and touching wood.
“I’m not counting anything until the final siren… but I feel that what we are looking forward to is an incredible event.”
WA has been Covid-19 free for three months but on Wednesday it was revealed that a NSW truck driver had entered the state and tested positive.
WA premier Mark McGowan has previously banned fans from games this year on the day of the event because of Covid-19 cases in the state.
On Thursday he said there was no new cases and he was confident the game on Saturday at a sold out Optus Stadium would go ahead.
McLachlan also flagged the possibility of more blockbuster games such as this year’s Dreamtime match between Essendon and Richmond could be played at the modern Perth Stadium.
“I think the Dreamtime game was an eye opener for me. We had two non-Western Australian teams playing in the middle of the season and selling out within a day,” he said.
“That was pretty special.
“So I think clubs and everyone are looking at it a bit differently… we will look at that and review it at the end of the year.
“I think for our game it was a bit of a silver lining that was forced upon us.”
Despite the positive case Melbourne and Western Bulldogs players have not been hit with more restrictions to ensure the game goes ahead.
McLachlan said he trusted the players and staff to do the right thing just days out from the game.
“They have been so disciplined,” he said.
“The players have worked so hard… I would be surprised if they were leaving their hotels.
“But we are here in part because of their resilience.
“I don’t think they will take any risks.”
What Perth Covid scare means for AFL grand final
The AFL will continue to nervously watch Western Australia’s handling of a Covid-19 scare just three days out from the Perth grand final.
WA health authorities called a snap press conference on Wednesday to reveal that a NSW truck driver had entered the state and tested positive.
The state’s premier Mark McGowan has had little hesitation this year closing down events, including locking out crowds from the state’s marque derby clash between West Coast and Fremantle.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan told the Herald Sun recently the league was prepared to delay the grand final by a week in the event of a Covid-19 scare to ensure they had a crowd.
But WA authorities said there is no change to the all-Victorian grand final between Melbourne and Western Bulldogs at Perth Stadium on Saturday night at this stage.
WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson called the truck driver’s positive a low-risk incident.
“There is no change that is being planned in respect of the conduct of the game, or indeed any other conditions,” Dawson said.
The truckie and a co-driver were in WA from last Thursday to the early hours of Saturday morning.
Although there were exposure sites to be revealed, WA Health Minister Roger Cook was confident there would not be an outbreak.
The truck driver was in WA for fewer than 48 hours, slept in his vehicle, had already received one dose of the Pfizer vaccination and was believed to have worn a mask at all times in public, as confirmed by CCTV footage.
His co-driver has so far tested negative.
“If something happened – we’ve been dealing with this for two years, and we would be able to find a way of dealing with it,” McLachlan said last week.
“If for some reason things changed, we’d deal with it. It wouldn’t be ideal. It’s not something we’re contemplating or think is going to happen.”
Dawson said WA authorities would be thorough in their handling of the incident.
“I have been briefed and we know that with some precision, because we have quite strict border controls with the GGG pass, we know that he was met by a police officer at Eucla and with confirmed through our tracking and tracing and this is being conducted by the Department of Health with assistance from police,” Dawson said.
“We will be very thorough in ensuring that any contact with anyone will be subject to very rigorous screening and we are getting good co-operation.
“So at this point in time there is no change being contemplated for the broader community and we will continue to keep you informed.”
WA has barred crowds from AFL games earlier this year due to Covid at short notice.
Cook said it would depend on the background of positives and if they could be linked to other known cases for the same to happen again.
WHAT WA POLICE COMMISSIONER CHRIS DAWSON SAID OF THE Covid SCARE:
“The situation that we have in front of us is that based on the public health advice, there is no change being contemplated in terms of borders, in terms of the risk profile and I expect that we will get questions for instance about the AFL grand final.
“There is no change that is being planned in respect of the conduct of the game, or indeed any other conditions. What we have in front of us is early information which is being confirmed that one truck driver has tested positive.
“I have seen some of the footage already, I have been briefed and we know that with some precision, because we have quite strict border controls with the GGG pass, we know that he was met by a police officer at Eucla and with confirmed through our tracking and tracing and this is being conducted by the Department of Health with assistance from police, and we will be very thorough in ensuring that any contact with anyone will be subject to very rigorous screening and we are getting good co-operation.
“So at this point in time there is no change being contemplated for the broader community and we will continue to keep you informed. I just wish to make a couple of comments about the AFL grand final.
“When you are attending there, if you’ve got a ticket that is good, but what we do want you to do from a public safety point of view is take the time to go there early and expect that there may be some delays. Obviously it is a full house. What we don’t want people in a crowd crushed going in at the last minute. So enjoy the events that are taking place both outside the stadium and obviously the main event inside.
“What we don’t want from a public safety perspective as people all rushing in at the same time, so let’s use your common sense. There will be hundreds of police on duty, in addition to the security that is good and well-planned, both outside and inside the stadium. There will also be extensive policing of hotels, nightspots, other events that people have on grand final day.
“We ask people just to enjoy the opportunity, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the event and don’t do it at the risk of others or yourself. We just want everyone to really enjoy the activity but understand at this point in time, we will keep you informed on any changes.”
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