Victorian A-League clubs still trapped at home

The A-League season has been left in tatters — with fresh drama rocking the code to again leave Melbourne’s three clubs stranded.

Victory players during a training session at Gosch's Paddock in Melbourne

For the second time in 24 hours, the A-League season has been left in tatters — with fresh drama rocking the code late on Tuesday to once again leave Melbourne’s three clubs stranded.

Just as it had appeared high-level meetings between Football Federation Australia and the NSW government had cleared the sides to leave Australia’s coronavirus capital with special exemption, the goalposts shifted to leave members of Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western United angry, frustrated and stuck at home.

The fate of the A-League season hangs in the balance eight days before it is scheduled to relaunch with a Melbourne derby which remains without a venue.

Signs at Albury’s NSW-Victoria border warn of the COVID-19 restrictions

Following Monday’s failed 11th hour attempt by all three teams to sneak across into NSW before the border shutdown which came into play at midnight, it was believed a plan had been hatched to breathe life into the A-League season.

Another late-night flight to Canberra – this time without the looming threat of fog – was again the solution, before a last-minute hitch shattered the plan.

The teams hit an unforeseen hurdle when told they would be forced to quarantine for 14 days in Canberra before being able to travel on to NSW, where they’d planned to join the A-League hub and finish the season.

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That quarantine period would’ve clashed with Western United’s derby clashes with both Victory and City, set to take place in the opening five days of the resumed season.

It ensures the FFA and its three Melbourne clubs face another agonising wait as they seek clarity on how to complete the season.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro had given cause for optimism when he extended an olive branch to FFA, suggesting the A-League could be afforded the same level of sympathy that allowed the NRL to restart in May.

“You’ve heard me on the NRL and the importance of sport and I think we’ve got to work with the FFA,” he said on Tuesday.

“So I’ll be reaching out to the FFA (on Tuesday) and see what support they need. But of course, if we’ve got an opportunity to do so, let’s bring them across the border, lets park them in the regions or here in the city and make sure they’re part of the A-League that kicks off shortly.”

Wellington Phoenix players during a training session at their Sydney base on Tuesday

The teams believe they can continue to train in Melbourne, which on Wednesday night will go into a second full lockdown for the next six weeks follow the announcement of a further 191 fresh COVID-19 cases.

It was the second night in a row that the three clubs were left enraged by a doomed late-night scramble, after the dramatic events on Monday which kicked off around 8pm when teams were informed that the border closure – which had been set for midnight Tuesday night – had been brought forward 24 hours.

From there it was a mad rush as players packed their bags in preparation for a seven-week Sydney stay and met up at AAMI Park – only to be let down on the tarmac thanks to fog in Canberra.