AFL 360 react to coronavirus suspension of AFL season with biting swipe at NRL

The AFL suspension was both surprising and unsurprising and has come with a savage reality check for the NRL and A-League.

The AFL’s shock postponement of the season after round one has sent a pointed message to the NRL and A-League, according to Fox Footy’s AFL 360.

In an emergency AFL360, hosts Gerard Whateley and Mark Robinson debriefed after one of the biggest days in Australian sporting history when the AFL decided to suspend the competition until the end of May.

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In the current climate of unprecedented situations, this was another big wake up call for Australia about the gravity of the coronavirus crisis, which hadn’t permeated the entire community after incredible scenes on Bondi Beach earlier in the week despite social distancing pleas from the government.

The AFL took the huge step of reducing its season to 17 games last week and playing round one in front of empty stands.

But at 4.30pm on Sunday, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan called a pause for the AFL season, something even two World Wars couldn’t stop.

Through tired eyes, McLachlan claimed the game was facing “the biggest financial crisis in AFL history”.

“To say that this is the most serious threat to our game in 100 years is an understatement. It is unprecedented in its impact,” McLachlan told reporters on Sunday.

“Many people will suffer significant hardship as are people right across our community.”

AFL 360 praised the AFL, but also took a shot at the NRL and A-League.

Hours later, AFL 360 kicked off with Whateley asking Robinson how heavy the decision sat.

“Not as heavily as it did at 5.30 and not as heavy as it did an hour ago,” Robinson said. “We really really, really like this sport, I work it in, you work in it. It very quickly set upon me that I love footy but there are more important things in life.

“Everyone’s worried about their parents — has every single person watching at home rung their parents in the last 24 hours, said ‘whatever you’re doing don’t go out’? That’s more important that footy. I’m not sad. I worry for the clubs and I worry about the AFL.

“But the rest of it, no games, I’ve moved from last week – I was fully accepting of the AFL’s decision to play round one. Health authorities said yes. Round two … but when I heard the prime minister speak at 11 o’clock this morning, I think it dawned on everyone, it was all over.”

The AFL season is suspended until at least May 31 but the league will reassess by the end of April whether it needs a bigger break.

The season could have started and finished on the same weekend.

Robinson also took aim at letting 3000 passengers off a cruise ship with people testing positive to the virus, calling it a joke and demanding action for the decision makers.

But while the AFL has called a halt to the season, Whateley had a message for the NRL and A-League, who have as yet not postponed their seasons.

“There was fine print in which the AFL could have existed, certainly the NRL and the A-League are living in those margins, as of tonight I’d say they’re living in the fringes, but to do that, to explore that with the government the AFL believed was to sit itself above the community and that was what they were not prepared to do,” he said. “Once those limitations were put in place and the community was being asked with such gravity to observe what was going into being, the AFL felt it knew where it’s place was.

“To forge on in these circumstances would have been to forfeit the moral authority that an organisation is going to need in the recovery phase,” he said. “That’s where sport will truly play its role. The call ended up being quite simple.”

It’s been a crazy week in the AFL.

After a week that started with the shortened 17 game season, Whateley said the first game was a curiosity and as the weekend went on, it was clear that “it was out of place”.

“He (McLachlan) should take comfort that he’s done the right thing,” Whateley said. “This is not a time for football and the AFL recognised that today. In a way, I think there are a couple of other codes on the fringes right now and I think they’d do well to recognise that.”

Robinson said the decision behind playing round one was also done with the community in mind but with such a fast changing crisis, he said the AFL believed it need to be part of the solution.

“People always have a crack at the AFL for making statements on the morality of life and that sort of stuff, gender, but I think the AFL has always had the power to be a really strong voice,” he said. “I now think the AFL led by Gillon McLachlan can be one of the strongest voices through this period.”