AFL rallies behind Bachar Houli as his mother battles COVID-19

Coronavirus continues to pose a concerning backdrop for the AFL and its troubled 2020 season as Bachar Houli reveals his mother is battling the virus.

Bachar Houli with his mum Yamama and dad Malek when he entered the AFL

The AFL is rallying around revered Richmond defender Bachar Houli after he revealed his mother is gravely ill with coronavirus in Melbourne.

The ill health of Houli’s mother Yamama has further unsettled a competition where many players are split from their family members during the time of crisis.

The dual-premiership Tigers star, a community leader involved in several initiatives advancing the cause of Melbourne’s disadvantaged youth, described the despair of his family on Monday.

The Houli family is unable to visit Yamama, who is in intensive care, at a time the virus is surging in Victoria and also the spark of a cluster in NSW.

“It’s been tough. It’s been a tough time. When you are restricted and you’re isolated, it’s very touching,” Houli said.

“More specifically, my mother’s been affected a lot. She’s currently in ICU undergoing some heavy treatment. The team in the ICU is taking care of her. Her current state is a mixed one.

“What burns and hurts truly is the fact that no-one from her family members can go and visit her, which is very, very tough.”

Houli, who opted out of travelling to the Gold Coast hub after his wife Rouba gave birth to son Mohamed earlier in July, urged Melburnians to get tested if they had any symptoms.

“I’ve been tested over 30 times being a current AFL player, and that’s the protocols. And we had to tick the box. It tickles a little bit, it doesn’t hurt,” he said. “It’s a very, very quick procedure.

“Please go to the nearest place and go get tested. Do your best to isolate, and we do our best to wipe out this current pandemic.”

In a troubling year, the AFL has negotiated the challenges thrown at it to date to keep the season alive, though football is no longer being played in the Victorian heartland.

But as the league revealed the grand final rematch between Richmond and the Giants will be played in Sydney in Round 8, it is clear the COVID-19 situation is testing the code and its players.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has stressed repeatedly that football is not the main game in 2020 given the drastic toll COVID-19 has had on Australian society.

A positive test by Essendon’s Conor McKenna set the competition reeling, though the Bombers import was asymptomatic and played well against North Melbourne on Saturday.

Carlton star Eddie Betts was emotional after a dynamic performance against the Bulldogs as he revealed how difficult it was for players to be away from home when their families are locked down due to COVID-19.

All our thoughts and well wishes are with Bachar Houli, his mother Yamama, and the extended Houli family at this time 💛 pic.twitter.com/32yCP0TjUZ

— Richmond FC 🐯🏆 (@Richmond_FC) July 13, 2020

AFL clubs and broadcasting manager Travis Auld confirmed rounds would be compressed in the weeks following Round 8 in order to complete as much of the season as possible.

“It is important for us to remain flexible and agile and I would like to thank the clubs and players who continue to embrace the unique challenges the season continues to throw up,” Auld said.

The move comes amid mounting concerns over a resurgence of the virus. A cluster of 21 cases at The Crossroads Hotel in the western Sydney suburb of Casula has NSW authorities on high alert.

Melbourne, Hawthorn, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, along with the Giants and Swans, are all currently based in Sydney.

The Giants are due to host Richmond on Friday, July 24, and the Swans play the Hawks a day later at the SCG in the Round 8 fixture released on Monday.

But clubs are understood to be preparing to leave the NSW capital at short notice if required by the AFL.

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The league is also monitoring the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Victoria which has forced Melbourne into lockdown until mid-August.

The 10 Victorian clubs currently on the road are due to arrive home in early August.

How the lockdown affects those plans and the latter part of the season is being worked through by the league.

Effectively, the compressed rounds will see football played over five nights a week throughout winter.

The once-maligned Monday night match will become a regular part of the schedule beginning with the Crows clash against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval to complete this weekend’s round.

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has called for the South Australian clubs to be rewarded for participating in the initial hub with home matches and that has been honoured in the short-term.

Both clubs will host home games at Adelaide Oval in Rd 8 and the state may become more critical to the competition should the COVID-19 situation in NSW worsen.

St Kilda, which is based in Noosa, will travel from their temporary Queensland base to Adelaide on successive weeks to play the two SA clubs.

Monday night football will head to Perth a week later for a clash between Fremantle and Geelong, which are now based in a Western Australian hub along with Collingwood.

The two Victorian clubs clash on Thursday night at Optus Stadium in a match expected to draw 30,000 fans and will then complete their quarantine before tackling the WA sides.

The Eagles will host Collingwood at Optus Stadium in an afternoon clash a week after they tackle the Dockers in the homecoming derby this Sunday.

The round eight fixture of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season has been determined ✅ pic.twitter.com/TSsB3g8d4g

— AFL (@AFL) July 13, 2020