Health expert Catherine Bennett raises fears football fans could spread COVID-19 by shouting
Western Bulldogs and Collingwood have found a way to have fans at games from Round 2 but not in the flesh. Meanwhile, a health expert has urged AFL fans to rethink how they support their teams when crowds return.
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The Western Bulldogs have confirmed they want to line Marvel Stadium stands with cardboard replicas of its fans during the coronavirus lockout.
The club said they were looking for a sponsor to help cover the costs in time for their Round 3 clash with Greater Western Sydney.
The idea would be to paste faces of their members on the specially designed cardboard cutouts.
Collingwood has also written to members about populating its home games with virtual Magpie fans.
The AFL has not indicated when fans would be allowed to return to matches this year.
Games will be closed off when the season restarts on June 11.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said the unusual idea had merit.
“There’s a novelty factor to it and anything quirky that keeps everyone engaged and makes all our members and supporters feel good, I think it’s worthwhile exploring,” Beveridge said.
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“If you can see the faces of a mother, a father, a young kid or someone who’s been devoted to the Doggies for a long time then I think it’s all worthwhile. All those initiatives are a bit of fun.”
The idea of virtual fans took flight during the return of South Korean baseball matches and gained greater exposure at a soccer match in Germany last week.
Borussia Moenchengladbach arranged almost 13,000 cutouts of its supporters for its clash with Bayer Leverkusen behind closed gates.
The cutouts line the stadium’s otherwise empty stands.
FANS COULD BE TOLD TO KEEP QUIET AT GAMES
Footy fans could be urged to ease booing and shouting at football games because of health and safety fears should crowds be allowed at AFL matches later this season.
Fans could have their temperatures checked at the gate and screened for flu-like symptoms should the government tick off on limited capacity crowds.
The AFL have not yet made a call on whether crowds will be permitted in 2020 as the competition is set to resume on June 11.
Professor Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University believes the inadvertent spread of droplets may actually cause a minor outbreak.
“The risk is, with COVID, a lot of it will spread via droplets and we know it comes from the throat,” Professor Bennett told the Herald Sun.
“If you’re positive, and you have no idea, and you’re calling out and you’re cheering, you’re singing your team’s song — we know that projects the droplets further.
“The risk is, if you’re doing that over a long period of time — it could pose a threat.”
A 1.5 metre gap may be implemented between fans to help curb having too many supporters in one area but Professor Bennett believes even that gap may not be enough.
“We have seen outbreaks overseas at choir practices where people were singing,” Professor Bennett said.
“It would seem easier if people weren’t cheering or booing because then you could probably have more people there and less space between groups,
“But the risk is, people get caught up in the moment, calling out and even if they have a distance.”
Other means of celebrating your team were also suggested by Professor Bennett who believes it’s time for us to get creative in order to allow fans back in the terraces.
“I think what people need to do is look at alternative ways of doing it,” Professor Bennett said.
“I’m thinking of those boom sticks, people stamping their feet, the other ways you can spread your excitement or your dissatisfaction — we think of other ways and we get creative about it,
“If we have a good alternative and we practice it, we may be able to get together sooner and get people to come up with good ideas.”
Professor Bennett believes the AFL Grand Final is a good event “to aim for” and may work as a one-off event later in the year.
The season commences with Collingwood taking on reigning premiers Richmond at the MCG on June 11.
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