The AFL may have to take games to Ballarat as the Covid crisis could bring all 18 teams to Melbourne

There are four grounds for the AFL to use in Victoria and they could all get a run, as officials scramble to keep the season going with every team in Melbourne.

Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles players, staff and families flee WA. Picture: Paul Kane / Getty Images

Tasmania has been ruled out as an AFL bailout option with Melbourne, Geelong and even Ballarat set to host up to eight games this weekend and potentially in Round 17 as all 18 teams land in Victoria for the foreseeable future amid an escalating Covid crisis nationwide.

The emergence of five new positive Covid cases in Adelaide on Wednesday forced both the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide to flee South Australia on charter flights on Wednesday.

Ticket sales for Saturday’s clash in Adelaide between the Crows and Brisbane Lions, who are in Melbourne, were suspended and the status of that match remains unknown.

The Crows and Lions could yet fly in and out of Adelaide, pending approvals.

“Bringing the two South Australian teams to Victoria today minimises risk for the competition as we progress the season in a constantly changing environment,” AFL Executive General Manager Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld, said.

“As of this evening we will have all 18 teams in Victoria and, as a competition, we will continue to remain adaptable where required.

“The two teams travelling today will fly to Victoria via a charter flight and will remain in the state ahead of this Round’s matches.

“While COVID-19 continues to impact the community, we will work closely with state governments, health officials, our clubs and players to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone in the game.”

Adelaide avoided joining Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth in lockdown.

But every team is now in Melbourne, with the location of Fremantle’s clash with Carlton this weekend yet to be locked in.

It won’t be sent to Tasmania, however, with GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Mars Stadium in Ballarat as well as the MCG and Marvel Stadium set to host most games over the next two weeks.

Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick said he didn’t want the game, a Dockers home game, in Melbourne, but that was taken away from his team.

“It might sound silly but it’s something that sits uncomfortably with me is the Blues getting out of their beds and driving to the MCG or Marvel when it’s our home game,” Garlick told SEN.”

AFL fixturing boss Travis Auld has conceded he “can’t answer” what the immediate future of the competition looks like, with the six teams from Queensland, WA and NSW all set for an extended stay in Melbourne after fleeing their home states.

“I can’t answer the question about what next week or the week after looks like. Our intention is to keep moving teams around as we have to, but to get them home as quickly as we can,” Auld said.

“I think there’s been only three or four rounds that haven’t been impacted by Covid, so, for the team, there’s a lot of work going on,” Auld said.

“But we make the decisions we have to make in order for the season to continue. We’ve seen that.

“We’re fortunate with the support we get from our playing groups and our clubs and respective state governments that we can deal with the circumstances as they arise.

“As it is at the moment, the right place for the majority of our clubs to be is here in Victoria.”

Auld said Ballarat’s Mars Stadium was the only other venue being discussed as an option for future rounds, with next week’s clash between the Giants and Suns a likely candidate to go to the regional centre.

“We’re very fortunate here in Victoria, where we have a number of venues,” he said.

“I know that Mars Stadium is really important for that region, as is GMHBA, so you may see a game in Ballarat.”

“It’s really hard to know what’s ahead. It’s been an uncertain environment for some time,” Auld said

Nat Fyfe makes mask-wearing look cool. Picture: Paul Kane / Getty Images

The Suns’ Thursday night home clash with Richmond has already been moved from Metricon Stadium to Marvel Stadium.

The AFL is still weighing up the venue and time for Fremantle‘s home clash with Carlton, originally slated for Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday night.

That game will either be played in Tasmania on Saturday afternoon or it will go ahead on Saturday night at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong.

The Dockers are determined for the match to be played in Launceston, ensuring the game is in completely neutral territory.

Fremantle is also scheduled to play Hawthorn in Tasmania in round 17.

The AFL is awaiting a South Australian exemption for the Lions to travel into the state for Saturday‘s clash with Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

If the exemption is granted, Brisbane would face similar conditions to those experienced by Geelong and Collingwood in entering SA last month.

The Lions hope to travel back to Queensland on Sunday, but are prepared to be away for longer.

Sydney and GWS are already based in Melbourne, having flown out last week because of Bondi‘s growing Covid-19 cluster.

The Swans‘ home game against West Coast at the SCG has been shifted to GMHBA Stadium on Sunday, while the Giants will play at the MCG for the second-straight week when they face Melbourne on Saturday.