Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett believes AFL stars will embrace taxing hub plan despite concerns from players

Outspoken president Jeff Kennett is somewhat bemused by the concern of players over quarantine hubs and Richmond’s Neil Balme is blunt in his assessment, particularly for players who are fathers.

Jeff Kennett is confident players will embrace hub plan to save the game. Picture: AAP Image/Stefan Postles

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says he has “no doubt” almost every AFL player will fulfil their professional obligation and spend up to five months in quarantine if they must to save the game.

But Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley cast doubt on whether the league should proceed with the dramatic hubs plan due to the huge toll it would take on families and mental health.

Under the most extreme option, this year's two Grand Final sides could be quarantined in hubs for 20 out of 21 weeks.

Players and club staff would be quarantined for an initial eight-week block (taking in a three-week mini pre-season and seven matches in five weeks), spend a week at home and return to their hubs for another nine matches over eight weeks.

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Jeff Kennett is confident players will embrace hub plan to save the game. Picture: AAP Image/Stefan Postles

Teams qualifying for the finals would spend up to four more weeks locked up.

But it is hoped a lengthy quarantine phase will not be required as state governments ease travel and social distancing restrictions.

Senior figures were adamant players should not have to complete the first three-week pre-season component in quarantine.

Veteran Richmond football manager Neil Balme said the AFL’s quarantine proposal “doesn't make a lot of sense” for all of footy’s young fathers.

“Ideally you would bring your families into the hub, but doing that immediately makes it difficult too, because all of a sudden they are captured in the hub as well,” Balme said.

“So they can’t do anything (in there) and that’s not ideal, either, because you’ve got a wife and three kids and they want to go to kindy and all of a sudden you are in Darwin or something.

“The positive is the optimism around the (prospect that) we will play is stronger now than it was two weeks ago. Whatever we have to deal with we will deal with, but let’s try to be reasonable about it.”

Buckley said the game’s top brass needed to consider whether “a worst-case scenario was actually worth it”.

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Port Adelaide star Tom Rockliff, who has a young son, said: “I think there will be players that won’t go into those hubs.

“I’d like to think I’d play but, for numerous reasons, players won’t feel comfortable going into that environment, whether it be a lack of family support or having dependants, including parents, rely on them,” he said.

But Kennett told the Herald Sun: “The vast majority of players just want to get back on the field.

“They know we live in strange circumstances. There may be a couple who have particular concerns … but don’t forget, these players are all professionals. I haven’t met any player who has said to me that they wouldn’t go if that was what was decided.

“This is their career. This is their opportunity to play. Yes, they may express concern but most of them have been well communicated with and understand the challenges the code is facing, and most of them are prepared to accept the guidance of the AFL in bringing about the best outcome possible for the code — not for any one individual, not for any one club, but for the code.”

The league faces a financial wipe-out and loss of up to $600 million if footy is not played this season.

The league was unable to say whether players who chose not to enter the hubs would be paid.

Under the terms of the emergency pay deal struck with the AFL last month, players were to be paid 50 per cent of their wage after May 31 if football resumed and only 30 per cent if it did not.

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Player agents today raised concerns about the plan’s impact on families and mental health in a telephone hook up with the AFL Players’ Association.

Some players are adamant they should be given the option of bringing their families into the hubs, while others are not keen on an extended stay in hubs at all.

Asked if he could understand the hesitance of some players, Kennett said: “If it’s a hub of five weeks and they didn't want to play, I’d find that strange. If it was a hub of 20 weeks, I’d find that strange but perhaps more understandable if it was a player with a family or a player whose wife was expecting a child.

“Everyone zeroed in on the 20-week hub, and that is clearly one option, but what the AFL has done with the players’ association is give the players the wide spectrum of those things that are being considered.”

The shape of the 2020 season will become clearer after May 11 when Victoria is expected to loosen some social distancing rules and a key meeting of the national cabinet.

Originally published as Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett believes AFL stars will embrace taxing hub plan despite concerns from players