Follow the latest news on how Victoria’s Covid-19 outbreak affects Adelaide and Port Adelaide

The latest Covid outbreak has caused fixture chaos, including the Crows playing in Sydney. SA Health has the following guidelines for the Crows after playing a club from a Covid hotspot.

The Crows are expected to be able to return to Adelaide without issue or the need for extra testing despite playing a team from a Covid hotspot this round.

Adelaide is flying to Sydney on Saturday to face Richmond in their rescheduled clash at Giants Stadium, then is booked to come back post-game on Sunday night.

On Friday, Queensland health authorities made GWS wait a day to enter the state because it had played a Melbourne team — the Tigers — within the past fortnight.

But SA Health said the Crows would be OK to return as normal on Sunday at this stage.

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“The AFL has rigorous testing processes in place and we would only consider implementing additional safety or testing requirements upon players returning to South Australia if COVID-19 circumstances change,” an SA Health spokeswoman said.

Adelaide’s match against the Tigers was set to be at the MCG until Thursday, when the league moved it to Sydney amid Melbourne’s seven-day lockdown.

The latest outbreak has caused fixture chaos for the AFL, which has had to reschedule several matches this round.

Adelaide is slated to host Collingwood next weekend but that may have to be played elsewhere because, under SA Health guidelines, the Magpies will need to quarantine for a fortnight upon arrival.

Collingwood can seek an exemption, which SA Health considers on a case-by-case basis.

The AFL will not make decisions on its Round 12 fixture until after this weekend.

Speaking on Friday, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley expected the venue for next week’s game could change.

The Crows will fly to Sydney on Saturday to face Richmond in their rescheduled clash at Giants Stadium.

“We’re scheduled to play Adelaide in Round 12 in Adelaide, the likelihood of that would be fairly low I would’ve thought,” Buckley said.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan told 3AW on Friday the league did not know what the next round’s fixture looked like.

“We have instincts and we are planning for all contingencies that our information tells us,” McLachlan said.

“The most informative thing will be how we go with our results over the next couple of days.”

McLachlan also said the league was not “thinking about moving into hubs right now”.

This week Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein would not rule out the island hosting a hub if needed, while Queensland counterpart Annastacia Palaszczuk said her state was willing to again accommodate teams, like it did last season.

The SA Government has yet to outline a position on having extra matches in Adelaide.

“We believe the (Victorian) government will get this under control and we have short-term contingencies if it plays out longer,” McLachlan said.

The Premier’s office was contacted for comment.

Why venue swap could give Crows an edge

Crows coach Matthew Nicks says his players are ready and prepared to face Richmond at Giants Stadium on Sunday after a Covid outbreak in Melbourne forced a snap venue change.

Adelaide was originally slated to face the reigning premiers at the MCG at 12.10pm, but will now face them in Sydney at 2.10pm on Sunday, after the AFL flew the Tigers out of Covid-hit Melbourne on Thursday.

Nicks said the only difference for the Crows in terms of preparation was that the plane would head in a different direction.

“We go and play against a very good football side, no crowd there, they do have a very large following and the MCG is a place that we love to play at as a young group because we only get one or two games a year there … so we miss out on that, but at the moment we total understand the AFL are working hard to play these games of footy in trying and hard times,” he said.

Matthew Nicks speaks to the media ahead of Adelaide’s clash with Richmond. Picture: Sarah Reed

As a sense of Covid deja vu from 2020 returns to the Crows’ West Lakes headquarters, Nicks said the players were handling the uncertainty as best they could.

“They are OK; at one point we thought we were having our captain’s run today (after incorrect rumours that the Crows would play Richmond on Friday night), but they’re fine.

“They understand that when you hear of cases coming out in Melbourne, we know there’s going to be some challenges coming, so they’re prepared for that and I think if you compared it to what they went through last year, last year was a large challenge for the entire AFL.

“They’re prepared to do whatever it takes, obviously we want to be safe while we’re doing that and make sure we’re doing the right thing, but they’re flexible.”

Nicks said Adelaide held no concerns about playing a team that had, until Thursday, been in the Covid-19 hotspot of Greater Melbourne.

“As far as I’m aware, the Richmond footy club have been tested earlier this week and they went through those and returned negative tests, so we’re playing against a team that has been tested,” he said.

Crows players donned MND beanies as they were put through their paces on Thursday. Picture: Sarah Reed

“The intricate details of all of that, the AFL have done a lot of work … they are doing everything they can to make sure we’re as safe as possible.”

Nicks said the club was yet to hear whether further games would be changed going forward.

Next weekend, the Crows are scheduled to play Collingwood at Adelaide Oval, and if current border restrictions remain in force, the Magpies will need an exemption – or perhaps a different location – to play in Adelaide.

“We are going to be flexible and we are going to do first and foremost what we need to do to keep everyone safe and part of that challenge will be get to Sydney, play the game of football then get home and see what of next week,” he said.

Nicks said his side was prepared to go into a hub if it was required.

“Anything that is required, if the AFL need us to go into hubs, we’ll be ready and flexible, we’ll do whatever they need of us at this time,” he said.

Adelaide leadership group member Tom Doedee said on Wednesday that while he wanted to play Richmond on Sunday, his immediate concern was for his family and friends back in his hometown of Melbourne.

“It’s a scary time,” he said.

“As a footy club … obviously footy’s a big thing and we want to play against Richmond, whether that be at the ‘G or here, but I think the bigger issue is working out what’s going on with that cluster and what’s going on with Covid and then footy will step up after that.

“(For a Sunday game), the normal routine would be that we’d fly in on Saturday, play Sunday and then come home and that’s what we’re preparing for at the moment.

“We’re looking at as if we’re playing Richmond on Sunday and whether that changes day, time, place, whatever, we’ll adjust that as we go along, but at the moment it’s just prepare for Richmond as if it was a normal week.”

POWER-DOCKERS START TIME ALTERED

Port Adelaide’s home clash with Fremantle has been pushed back 40 minutes to 4.50pm in the wake of Victoria’s Covid fallout.

The tweak to the timing of the Port-Dockers match was made to allow umpires who would also officiate a game in Perth the night before more time to prepare.

It comes after Power midfielder Karl Amon said having to self-isolate and take COVID-19 tests has only been a minor distraction for the club this week.

The Power had to stay away from Alberton Oval on Wednesday and the club’s headquarters underwent a deep clean after a spectator at last Sunday’s one-point win over Collingwood at the MCG tested positive for the virus.

Port Adelaide was cleared to train as normal on Thursday because players and staff who travelled to Melbourne last weekend produced negative tests on the club’s scheduled day off.

Although there is fixture chaos due to the worsening coronavirus situation in the Victorian capital, the Power is still expecting to host Fremantle at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Karl Amon says Port Adelaide’s preparation has not been affected by the latest Covid developments. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Speaking before Thursday’s session, Amon said the players were well equipped to handle the evolving landscape after the AFL’s Covid-impacted 2020 campaign.

“I think it (Wednesday’s testing and self-isolation) has been a little bit of a distraction, but I don’t think it’s been too much,” Amon said.

“Our day off was already scheduled for yesterday (Wednesday) so it’s not like our schedules changed.

“We just had to get a Covid test and wait for the result.”

Clubs were scrambling to leave Victoria on Thursday and expected to remain away for an extended period while the state dealt with the latest outbreak amid a seven-day Melbourne lockdown.

Last year much of the season was completed in Queensland, where teams based themselves for months, due to the pandemic taking hold in Victoria.

Amon said Power players were willing to go into hubs again if needed.

“Coming into this season, we were prepared to do the same, whether that be hubs, living with certain restrictions,” he said.

“I think the whole footy world is prepared to do that again to get a full season underway.”

Originally published as Follow the latest news on how Victoria’s Covid-19 outbreak affects Adelaide and Port Adelaide