Police investigate Crows players over isolation breach

Adelaide Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan apologetic over players’ training session.

Adelaide Crows players at Adelaide Oval in March before restrictions came into force. Picture Sarah Reed

Adelaide Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan has described the breaches of social distancing guidelines by several players in isolation as an honest mistake.

There are 16 Crows currently in quarantine at a golf resort in the Barossa Valley after returning to South Australia from interstate.

At a training session at the Kununda Pines Golf Club on Thursday, several players grouped together to train, which is a breach of AFL guidelines during the COVID-19 shutdown.

An investigation is also underway as to whether the Crows breached state guidelines which preclude more than 10 people from gathering.

Fagan was apologetic when discussing the matter on Friday morning.

“We had 16 players return from interstate, we had approval from SA police to train down at that facility, which is a 20-acre facility, so it’s got some ability for the players to not just be in their rooms but to move around and do some running and training,” he told SEN.

“But the expectation that was clearly articulated was to be in pairs and was to maintain social distancing. This was their first session there and it appears as though the communication about how the first session was to be conducted wasn’t anywhere near as clear as it needed to be.

“I saw a copy of it last night – it refers to social distancing, it refers to training in pairs, and they did that for a number of elements of the session. But for others they came together beyond their pairs, I think as a group of eight and they breached some of those social distancing rules.

“That’s what’s occurred. I think it’s an honest mistake but it’s a serious one. We understand where the industry is at in these discussions and everyone’s pretty frustrated.”

The Crows are facing a multi-pronged investigation into a possible breach of coronavirus guidelines just as the AFL is getting closer to finalising plans to relaunch the season.

South Australian police confirmed on Thursday night they would investigate the allegations.

The AFL is also probing the matter as the league seeks to convince governments around the country that its health protocols are effectively COVID-19 proof.

Adelaide Crows confirmed an investigation had started after a group of players were spotted training together during a session at the Tanunda Pines Golf Club.

The Crows said the players had fitness programs tailored for their fortnight-long stay on the golf course and were instructed not to leave the boundaries.

Crows football manager Adam Kelly said the club was aware players may have broken isolation and training guidelines while in the Barossa Valley.

The club was housing its interstate players at the Tanunda Pines club to enable them to comply with South Australian quarantine regulations.

It is alleged several players were seen training together on the second and third holes of the course on Thursday along with an assistant coach, who was monitoring the group.

It would be a clear breach of the South Australian regulations related to social distancing and comes less than two days after AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking stressed to clubs the importance of being on their best behaviour.

League guidelines stipulate that no more than two players can train together to ensure fairness for all clubs ahead of a potential season resumption next month.

“Players were told to complete any training in accordance with current AFL training protocols, which include not training in more than pairs and at all times maintaining social distancing, while staying at the facility,” Kelly said.

“It appears this may not have happened for the entirety of a skills session and we are in the process of gathering the facts and liaising with the AFL.”

The potential breach comes as the SA and West Australian governments raise concerns about the AFL’s safety protocols.

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said on Thursday he had “no confidence the AFL can maintain infection control and prevent infection spread” in regards to the league’s plans to use charter planes to fly teams to and from matches.

Incoming Sports Integrity Australia chief executive David Sharpe issued a blunt warning on Monday about the importance of footballers strictly following government guidelines.

He told The Australian it would take only one mistake by a player to put the entire season at risk, which would put into further jeopardy the jobs of AFL staffers.

“There are a lot of people who are doing everything in their power to get (football) up and running,” Sharpe said.

“Only (the players) can derail it. It is only going to take one mistake to derail any competition that has got up and running.”

Brisbane Lions chief executive Greg Swann said on Wednesday the AFL should consider suspending players for up to 10 weeks for coronavirus breaches given what was at stake.

“If somebody went deliberately out of their way to buck the system, I think it would be a severe penalty and from my point of view, rightly so, because there are a lot of livelihoods and people returning back to work,” Swann told 3AW.