Queensland is A-League’s Plan B

The A-League grand final has been pushed back a week and every team is aware they could suddenly have to relocate to Queensland.

Sydney remains Plan A to complete the A-League season

With the looming threat of a Queensland back-up plan hanging over its head, the A-League announced a second revised schedule in a fortnight – pushing back the grand final by a week and adding a pair of double-headers.

Nervous A-League clubs are embracing a ‘wait-and-see’ approach with the increasingly concerning NSW COVID-19 spike, which recorded another 13 positive tests on Wednesday, and are firmly aware of the Plan B that would have the entire competition relocate to Queensland on short notice.

For now, however, the A-League is comfortable locking in all but one of the remaining fixtures for the season in NSW – with Adelaide United’s away fixture to Brisbane Roar at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday the one exception.

Both teams will fly to Sydney after their clash, joining the A-League’s NSW hub where 26 of the remaining regular season fixtures will be played.

“We’re used to rolling with the punches, we’re use to things changing quickly and we’re very adaptable,” said Adelaide’s director of football Bruce Djite on Wednesday.

“There’s a Plan B now that’s set in stone, that’s in Queensland. We’re happy to go to NSW, we think it’s OK there for the moment.

“As we know things can change very quickly and to have a back-up in Queensland is comforting.”

Having originally planned for a football feast of 27 games in 28 days, the recent COVID-19 spike in Victoria – and subsequent debacle which left the three Melbourne teams stranded less than a week out from the planned restart date – forced another reshuffle on Wednesday.

The new fixture list will now have the remaining regular season matches – starting with Friday’s Sydney FC clash with Wellington Phoenix at Jubilee Stadium – spread out over 34 days, pushing back the finals series.

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The finals will now begin on Saturday August 22, with the grand final to take place a week later than planned on the following Sunday.

FFA’s Head of Leagues Greg O’Rourke on Tuesday revealed the league had drawn up a back-up plan to relocate the competition should the COVID-19 situation in NSW intensify in the coming days and weeks.

Wednesday’s announcement that the AFL intends to move all Victorian clubs to Queensland – potentially for the rest of the home-and-away season – has left some A-League clubs looking over their shoulders fearing they too will be forced to pack up and head north.

However Plan A has always been to play out the season in NSW – with five venues locked in, and Bankwest Stadium and ANZ Stadium shouldering much of the load.

The three Melbourne teams will exit quarantine on July 25 – and celebrate with a derby clash between Victory and Western United at Bankwest Stadium, part of a double-header with Wellington and Adelaide.

That will be one of two double-headers lined up for the rest of the season, with Perth Glory and Western United playing before Western Sydney Wanderers and Victory, also at Bankwest Stadium, on August 12.

“The scene is now set for an exciting finish to the season,” said O’Rourke.