AFL: Wave of sadness engulfs footy on game’s darkest day

Current and former AFL players are in shock at the magnitude of the devastating staff cuts that have ripped the heart and soul out of clubs as the footy world comes to grips with the pain of the coronavirus crisis.

James Sicily and Dayne Zorko have expressed sadness at the staff cuts at their clubs. Picture: AAP

With the coronavirus crisis forcing the AFL world to drastically slash staff numbers, current players and greats of the game have expressed their heartbreak over losing so many good people out of clubland.

The AFL and clubs have either stood down or cut up to 80 per cent of their staff as the league wrestles with the reality of no footy until at least May 31.

As the Herald Sun revealed the game’s 850 players agreed to halve their wages until that proposed restart date, Brisbane gun Dayne Zorko only felt sadness for the staffers the club was forced to cut.

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Dayne Zorko says he’s shattered for the people who have lost their jobs in clubland. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m thinking more about our great people at our football club that we’ve had to let go today and it really saddens me to think of how many of our staff now don’t have jobs or have been stood down for the unknown … they don’t know how long it’s going to be and they’re in limbo, just as much as we are, but jobless,” Zorko said on Fox Footy’s AFL Tonight.

“My heart really goes out to all those guys, they sacrifice so much time and so much effort into a football club and this goes to all the clubs that will potentially have to do it, I just think it’s a really sad time for them and for everyone in the industry and my heart goes out to those guys.”

James Sicily says the staff cuts are distressing. Picture: Getty Images

Hawthorn defender James Sicily said he was distressed to see so many staff cut.

“It’s sad and it’s going to be a challenging time, hopefully we can all get through it and get those good people back into our club because those sort of people are what makes clubs really strong and makes clubs really successful,” Sicily said.

He said the reality that footy may not even be played in 2020 was yet to sink in, with 31-year-old teammate Ricky Henderson fearing he could have played his last AFL game.

“I’m pretty good friends with Ricky Henderson and he said to me, ‘mate, I could have played my last game at Hawthorn’,” Sicily said.

“It’s very real. It’s bizarre. Something we have to keep adapting to and being flexible with.

“It’s still surreal, it hasn’t really sunk in yet, I think maybe next week when everyone’s inside and not really getting out and about and interacting with your mates it’ll probably feel a bit more real.”

Ricky Henderson fears he may have played his last game for the Hawks. Picture: Michael Klein

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Jonathan Brown said the players would be fine with a “haircut” on their pay, but people in clubland were hurting.

“It’s the people who are on the stock standard wage in the community who work in our footy clubs — and the players get really close to them,” Brown said on Fox Footy’s On The Couch.

“If their livelihoods get cut, you know they’re below the poverty line or right on it.

“That’s what is shocking for me, we know a lot of those people, that’s the people I’m thinking of.

“I spoke to someone that’s been involved in footy a long time and he was let go today and he was shocked. He’s a very resilient man, but he’s still trying to get his head around it.”

Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy said it was impossible to feel the pain of those who were let go today.

“It was a very sad day for me: I love AFL football, I love the people in it, to me the game is people,” Healy said on Fox Footy’s On The Couch.

“You play for a club, you love the club, but you love the people in the club and many of those people got sacked today.

“I spoke to a gentleman who got sacked today and he worked in footy — he didn’t know what he was going to do.

“I don’t think there was anything comparable that has happened in the game since WWII.”

Originally published as AFL: Wave of sadness engulfs footy on game’s darkest day