AFL: Sydney Swans rocked by Covid crisis

An AFL club’s Christmas break has been rocked by a Covid outbreak after a number of its players and football staff tested positive.

The Sydney Swans confirmed a number of players and football department members tested positive for Covid. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

A number of the Sydney Swans’ players and football staff tested positive for Covid during its Christmas break, the club has confirmed.

The Swans’ last training session was held last Wednesday and the players and staff turned in negative tests ahead of the session.

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But as the number of confirmed cases in NSW grows larger by the day, the Swans found itself caught up in the state’s biggest Covid outbreak to date.

“The Sydney Swans can confirm some members of the football department, including players, have tested positive for Covid during their leave period,” a club statement read.

“All affected players and staff are double vaccinated and all report to be in good health.

“The club’s primary concern is for the health and safety of all players, staff and their families.

“All positive cases are adhering to relevant State Government health directives.

“All members of the football program returned negative Covid tests before their final training session of the year on Wednesday December 15, in line with AFL protocols that includes weekly PCR testing, as well as regular rapid antigen testing.

The Sydney Swans confirmed a number of players and staff members tested positive for Covid. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

The football department staff and players at the Swans are due to return from leave on January 6.

As the nation continues to grapple with the Omicron variant and reach higher levels of double vaccinations, it is hoped future Covid outbreaks in clubs won’t present a large hurdle quite like it does now.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said earlier this month that the league will push on with Covid outbreaks in 2022 and beyond.

“It’s evolving, and we keep talking to the states and the health officials and they will continue to change,” McLachlan said.

“Broadly speaking, we’ll work with the state by state rules and we’re going to play on.

“The protocols are slightly different this week to what they were last week and they’ll keep changing, but broadly we’re going to keep playing.”

The AFL implemented a vaccine mandate in October, confirming all players and football staff across the AFL and AFLW competitions had to receive a Covid vaccination prior to the start of the 2022 season.

Originally published as AFL: Sydney Swans rocked by Covid crisis