China game on ice for 12 months

The AFL’s Shanghai expedition is on ice for at least 12 months with the China game moved to Marvel Stadium

St Kilda’s Tim Membrey is sorry to miss out on the opportunity for a win in China

The AFL’s Shanghai expedition is on ice for at least 12 months with the China game moved to Marvel Stadium due to coronavirus.

The Round 11 clash between St Kilda and Port Adelaide — which was set to be played at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai on May 31 — has been shifted back to Melbourne as the virus continues to sweep the globe.

A date for the match will be set as soon as Wednesday, but it is understood that a mooted Monday night match has been quashed and that moving the bye weekend that was set to follow the match for both teams has been considered.

St Kilda will play nine of their first 11 games at Marvel Stadium.

The Victorian government is also understood to have been involved in negotiations to ensure the match was played in Victoria.

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The league also considered playing the game in Cairns as one of many contingency options.

Shanghai officials announced on Tuesday that all visitors to the city from countries with “relatively serious virus conditions” would have to submit to 14 days of quarantine.

St Kilda forward Tim Membrey — who played in last year’s China clash — said it would be a disappointment to miss out on the trip this season.

“It was a great experience but at the same time we were over there for a job,” he said.

“We wanted to get the four points but last year we didn’t do that. In that sense it would’ve been nice to go back over there and put on a better performance and get the four points. It’s not looking like it’s going to go that way so that’s the way it is.”

The match was worth in the vicinity of $1m to St Kilda in 2019, with the club now understood to be exploring every avenue to minimise the financial hit that the shift will have.

The club is understood to have received more than $500,000 from Port Adelaide for moving its home game to China.

Australia currently has a travel ban in place that would mean even if clubs went to China to play the match, all travellers would be quarantined for 14 days upon their return.

The match joins a swag of sporting events that have been cancelled or postponed due to the virus, including the Shanghai Grand Prix that was slated for April 19.

Herald Sun