Queensland double standards raise AFL eyebrows

Eyebrows have been raised in AFL about an obvious double standard in the way Queensland offered favours to the NRL.

Richmond’s Bachar Houli prepares to fly out to join his teammates in Queensland. Picture: Mark Stewart

As the AFL launched a military style evacuation of players, partners and coaches, eyebrows were raised behind the scenes about an obvious double standard in the way Queensland offered favours to the NRL that it did not extend to the NSW AFL sides.

The NRL says it is exempt from the border closure as it has a special deal with the Queensland government, which was confirmed on Wednesday night.

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The situation has led some to ask whether Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is attempting to corner the market in eastern states AFL and ensure teams stay north of the border, with an eye to hosting the grand final. The same people, who are reluctant to go on the record, believe Palaszczuk is keen to keep the NRL on side with a view snatching that code’s grand final for Brisbane.

Queensland and NSW are rugby league’s heartlands and the Queensland government knows that if ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys moved the northern-based clubs into NSW because of the border closure it would not play well with locals.

The AFL said yesterday it had no complaints with the treatment it had received from any state government and the code understood each state had to look after its own population.

The Melbourne-based code moved all 10 Victorian teams interstate at the start of the month. A number of southern clubs moved to NSW, but have progressively migrated to hubs in Queensland and Western Australia as the competition attempts to play as many games in as short a period as possible to stay ahead of the virus.

The Swans and Giants left Sydney yesterday for Queensland in order to beat a ban on residents of the greater Sydney area entering the Sunshine State, which comes into effect on Saturday.

The two sides will play two games in Queensland before migrating to Perth for another three rounds.

Richmond star Bachar Houli did not join the original exodus north, revealing later that his mother was in hospital with the virus, but he was part of a group of 400 people — players, officials, wives and children — who flew north from Melbourne to join the teams in Queensland on Thursday.

“She’s much better and that’s the main reason why I’m leaving, because it’s been massive improvement,” Houli said of his mother.

“She’s still in ICU at the moment, but everything’s functioning really well and the greatest thing is I’ve got my father’s blessing and that’s the most important thing.

“It was a bit scary, of course, but more so it’s been an emotional time. I was talking to Dad before I left and he was very, very emotional, the fact that what he’s been going through, he can’t even see Mum. It’s very emotional for the family, but the great thing is we’re a big family, we stick strong and believe that things will get better.”

In Sydney some Giants players flew with their families, ruckman Shane Mumford taking his son with him to training before going to the airport. The Swans players left partners and children behind and there were touching scenes when veteran Josh Kennedy lingered with his family before the team departed.

“It has been unique, it’s all happened so quickly,” Swans chief executive Tom Harley said. “We received the heads-up call from AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan on late Tuesday night and started the communication chats with staff and players the next morning before final confirmation coming late yesterday morning.

“To turn a club around, a travelling party of 90, effectively in the space of six hours … passing all the information, making sure the families are all informed … and it’s had some challenges. But we’ve got there and we’re on a plane in a couple of hours.

“We’ve got a very young squad and only a handful of the players have families. They’re staying, we’ve got staff who are bringing some families. But it’s a relatively small travel party. More reflective of the age demographic.”

Families who fly to Queensland were being accommodated in a special hotel and face strict conditions on their movements.

Houli said he may have joined Richmond without his family had Victoria not re-entered another lockdown phase.

“It’s great that the family can join, it’s obviously been a tough three or four weeks at home,” he said.

“Mixed emotions but just happy to join the boys in a couple of weeks.

“(With the) circumstances at home, there’s not much the family can do, I thought just change the environment a little bit.

“Not that we can do much in Queensland otherwise, but it’s a good opportunity to get the family away from what’s happening here in Victoria. It’s a good opportunity to bond with the family.”