Victoria’s AFL footballers ordered to have Covid-19 vaccine dose by October 15, double by November 26
Victoria’s state government has mandated AFL players must be vaccinated to play — here’s how they responded.
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The AFL is yet to encounter a player who is unwilling to be vaccinated ahead of the 2022 season as clubs reach first-dose vaccination levels above 95 per cent.
The league is preparing its vaccination policy after the heavy lifting was done by the Victorian government on Friday when it declared all authorised workers would need proof of double vaccination to work by November 26.
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That policy governs only the state of Victoria but it means any AFL player or official who steps foot in the state must be vaccinated to continue their employment.
The AFL player union is working through what would happen to the contracts of any player who outright refused to be vaccinated for medical or moral grounds.
But after an intensive AFL education program the league and AFLPA are yet to encounter a player who is unwilling to be vaccinated.
North Melbourne’s players will all be fully vaccinated by October 19, and clubs are reporting figures in the high 90 per cent for first doses for players.
There are no holdouts at this stage, unlike the NBL which has had three players with contracts torn up or who have chosen not to play the upcoming season given vaccine hesitancy.
If a player did refuse to be vaccinated agreement must be reached about whether their contract could be terminated or whether they could step out of football for a year as the pandemic eased.
Some club staff have had relatives who have had adverse reactions to vaccines but through education programs have been reassured and have signed up to vaccine programs.
The league’s players are back at their clubs for pre-seasons from mid-November onwards, by which stage it is accepted they will all be fully vaccinated so they can enter club facilities.
The AFL’s policy will cover all players and officials, with the league on Friday stating it was working on proof of vaccination for players.
“The AFL is awaiting formal Government directions on next steps and the AFL will work with Clubs, the AFLPA and the broader AFL industry in the coming period so that we are ready for this important change, including with respect to the logistics of proof of vaccination,” it said in a statement.
“More broadly the AFL is continuing to work with Clubs, the AFLPA and the broader AFL industry to finalise and release its own vaccination policy for all AFLW and AFLW clubs, players and staff nationally in the coming weeks.”
Vaccine mandate looms as AFL game-changer
Victorian professional athletes, including AFL footballers, are among authorised workers the state government has ordered to have their first Covid-19 vaccine dose by October 15.
Premier Dan Andrews announced on Friday those same workers must be fully vaccinated by November 26 in order to continue working on site.
The list of authorised workers includes “professional or high-performance sportsperson(s), workers that support the safe running of that person’s professional sport, and public broadcast personnel necessary for broadcasting the professional sport”.
The AFL informed all Victorian-based clubs of the vaccine mandate on Friday, reinforcing that all their AFLW and AFL players and football-program staff would need to abide.
“The AFL is awaiting formal government directions on next steps,” the AFL statement said.
“The AFL will work with clubs, the AFLPA and the broader AFL industry in the coming period, so that we are ready for this important change, including with respect to the logistics of proof of vaccination.
“More broadly, the AFL is continuing to work with clubs, the AFLPA and the broader AFL industry to finalise and release its own vaccination policy for all AFLW and AFLW clubs, players and staff nationally in the coming weeks.”
Andrews’ vaccine mandate looms as a game-changer for the AFL and Australia’s other elite sporting competitions, including the NRL, NBL and A-Leagues, as well as cricketers.
AFL Players’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh has so far said his union’s formal stance was against enforced vaccinations despite them encouraging footballers to do so.
The AFLPA warned players that government-mandated vaccination was a possibility and is pleased with the overall commitment to the matter.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has consistently advocated for players and the general public to get vaccinated, but said in September that mandating it was “a complicated process”.
McLachlan had hoped to have a resolution before last weekend’s grand final.
“If we want to get our lives back and get back to doing things the simple way, and opening up, we need to be vaccinated,” McLachlan said.
“We see it as our path out and our policy will reflect that.”
The entire Sydney and Western Bulldogs squads have had at least their first vaccination dose since their respective seasons ended.
New Bomber Jake Kelly, who became this year’s first free agency signing, revealed on Friday he was fully vaccinated but that it was a “complex issue”.
“It’s the battle of individual decision-making, which is an important aspect of the country we live in – the ability of an individual to make their own decision,” Kelly said.
“But I understand the other side of it as well, where the government’s got to look after the health and safety of an entire country, and the league is a business and it needs to keep rolling.”
Clubs eye double vax mandate for players
- Jon Ralph
AFL teams are seriously considering making double vaccination a condition of entry to their clubs for players returning to pre-season in November.
The AFL is set to announce its policy for vaccinations across players and staff in the next week, with the league now actively encouraging its clubs to take a leadership role.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has urged clubs to “lean in” and push vaccination with their players as the league’s education policy is rolled out.
The 16 clubs out of finals for are attempting to vaccinate all their players and staff, with Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs to take up that task now they have finished the season.
Clubs believe there will be some players who choose to refuse vaccination and are unsure how the league would respond.
In the NBL, the Illawarra Hawks released import Travis Trice and the New Zealand Breakers tore up a two-year deal with star Tai Webster over their anti-vaccination stances.
But, ahead of late November returns to clubs, the AFL’s 18 teams will use the framework of providing a safe working environment to require double vaccination.
Players will be told the club cannot afford to have non-vaccinated players spreading Covid through their clubs or spreading it in the community.
If players entered facilities unvaccinated, it would put the entire club at risk of being ruled an exposure site that could require all officials to isolate.
Clubs have also been told state governments might be unlikely to grant AFL clubs exemptions to fly in and out without being double vaccinated.
Clubs believe unvaccinated players will be unable to fly interstate, but a Virgin spokesman told the Herald Sun last week they had not foreshadowed vaccination as a condition of flying next year.
Testing of players with rapid testing and the accurate tests that players have endured in the past 20 months will also be an increasingly important feature with Covid set to spread across Australia when restrictions are dropped.
The league has not told clubs what will be in its vaccination policy but, in the NFL, non-vaccinated players are tested daily and have few freedoms when travelling interstate.
North Melbourne has been a trailblazer in pushing the vaccination message and, after having a 92 per cent rate of first vaccinations, believes it will be fully vaccinated by October 19.
NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said players would have travel restrictions if unvaccinated when the season commences.
“Individuals that decide not to get vaccinated could be subjected to different rules depending on various government protocols and restrictions,” he said.
‘You only live once’: GF streaker’s link to Olympic hero
- Brianna Dugan
The pitch invader who ran onto the turf in just his underwear, socks and sneakers at Optus Stadium mid-grand final has been revealed as Australian Olympic runner Peter Bol’s cousin.
Abra Bol is facing a hefty $12,000 fine and a three-year ban after he stripped down to only his underwear, socks and sneakers before running onto the field at three quarter time on Saturday.
The 22-year-old who posed as a security guard to get into WA’s biggest sporting event posted a video on social media before the daring stunt showing viewers he had his “whistle and fake ID ready to go”.
While in the stands the Thornlie man, who goes by the nickname “Black Magic”, tweeted “you only live once f*** it” before making the daring run across the field.
“Crowd with 100k people, million plus people watching, first ever to do a streak in a AFL Grand Final in Perth,” the tweet read.
His cousin and Olympic 800m runner Peter Bol, who stopped the nation during the Tokyo Olympics, replied, “Mate I was not training you for this.”
Abra Bol, who is slower than his cousin, lasted only a few seconds on the field before being caught by security guards, with several of them carrying him off the field — all were sporting smiles, while Abra Bol held a piece sign in the air.
It is understood Optus Stadium staff underwent specific training in the days prior to the grand final on how to stop and restrain pitch invaders.
Surrounded by police cars, the 22-year-old soon realised the trouble he was in, posted a video on social media laughing about the hefty fine that hangs over his head.
In one of the videos he said “100k fine man f*** my life.”
“They told me ‘why’d you do it? why’d you do it?’. I said ‘why not?’,” he said on video in the back of a car.
An Optus Stadium spokeswoman said the man will also face a ban of up to three years from Perth’s biggest sporting ground.
Police and Optus Stadium management will work out the length of the ban — if he is to receive one — in the coming weeks.
The maximum fine for pitch invaders is $12,000.
The 22-year-old will appear in Perth Magistrate’s Court on October 5.
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