AFL Covid: Collingwood forced to cancel training session after Covid scare
Collingwood is the latest club to be thwarted by a Covid scare as headaches grow around the AFL.
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Collingwood called off training on Monday after suffering a Covid scare with a staff member testing positive at the weekend.
All staff and players who were at the club last Friday were asked to test and isolate until negative.
All have since returned negative tests.
Monday’s scheduled session was postponed as a precaution and will resume on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.
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Covid continues to cause headaches for the AFL and clubs as positive cases quickly become the new normal due to high vaccination rates.
Carlton chief executive Brian Cook last week became the latest AFL figure to be diagnosed with Covid.
He joined Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell, Tigers pair Dion Prestia and Noah Balta and young Hawk Finn Maginness as confirmed Covid cases.
Members of AFLW programs at several clubs have also tested positive this month.
Three Roos in isolation as AFL’s Covid reality hits hard
— Jon Ralph
Three North Melbourne players have joined the AFL’s growing list of COVID-19 casualties.
Two of the players are in the club’s senior core and aren’t required back to training until December 6 while the younger player had started his pre-season campaign before being sent into isolation.
The trio have suffered no health issues from contracting the virus with Roos officials confident there will be no lingering effects.
Richmond premiership pair Noah Balta and Dion Prestia both tested positive last week while the GWS Giants reported one player had contracted COVID on Wednesday.
Carlton chief executive Brian Cook this week became the second AFL club boss to test positive.
His diagnosis followed the news last week that Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell had been forced into isolation with the virus.
Cook’s diagnosis impacted the Blues draft preparations with new coach Michael Voss and football manager Brad Lloyd unable to attend Wednesday night’s event after they were identified as close contacts.
On Thursday afternoon the AFL revealed a club staff member who had attended Marvel Stadium for the draft had tested positive.
The staff member also attended the official NAB Draft event at the London Tavern in Richmond.
Additional health protocols were enforced for the second night of the draft with those in attendance undergoing rapid antigen tests on arrival with masks worn for the duration of the event.
It comes after the AFL’s national draft has been hit by a second Covid scare in as many days after an attendee tested positive inside Marvel Stadium on the first night on Wednesday.
Clubs have been told they must stay in corporate boxes and wear masks after the attendee tested positive subsequent to his involvement as clubs took picks in the first round.
The clubs are in corporate boxes making selections as the AFL conducts the two-night draft at its AFL review centre (ARC) within the facility.
It is believed a club staffer is the person who has tested positive and that they also attended the draft event at Richmond’s London Tavern.
Media and club staff who attend events on the second night of the draft will be required to submit to rapid antigen testing.
Already clubs have had their plans interrupted with Carlton chief executive Brian Cook testing positive to Covid, which meant coach Michael Voss and football boss Brad Lloyd did not attend Wednesday night’s proceedings.
Officials will need rapid antigen tests before entering Marvel Stadium.
It came as the AFL told clubs this week the show would go on, with games proceeding next year regardless of positive tests from players and coaches.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale told the Herald Sun last month clubs would have to treat Covid positives like soft tissue injuries to allow games to proceed.
VOSS MISSES DRAFT AFTER BLUES BOSS DIAGNOSED WITH COVID
Jay Clark
Carlton chief executive Brian Cook has become the second AFL club boss within a fortnight to test positive for COVID-19.
Carlton coach Michael Voss and football manager Brad Lloyd were both unable to attend to Wednesday night’s AFL draft because they were identified as two of Cook’s close contacts and forced to isolate.
The Blues’ recruiting chiefs have already tested negative and were cleared to attend the first round of the draft at Marvel Stadium even though the Blues did not have a top-20 pick.
Carlton’s first pick, No. 25, is scheduled for Thursday night.
Cook was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and is expected to make a full recovery after testing positive throughout the week.
He was seen speaking closely with some players and Lloyd at training on Monday as Voss spoke at his first press conference of the preseason.
Cook was on the sidelines to watch the training session and chatted casually with players on the boundary line throughout and after the session.
It is believed the entire playing list has tested negative so far, however more swabs will be taken over the coming week.
Cook will have to isolate at home for the next 10 days as per Victorian Government guidelines.
He urged Victorians to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“My main concern is the health and safety of our people, I sincerely appreciate all of them getting tested this afternoon at short notice,” Cook said.
“I am feeling okay, thankfully – which is further evidence of why it is so important for people to be vaccinated.
“Getting vaccinated is not only our way of getting back to our normal lives but is how each of us can play our part and return the favour to help the incredible health and medical professionals who have worked so tirelessly for all of us since the pandemic began.
“As we have seen across the competition this situation is simply now a reality and further emphasises why we have such clear protocols in place by the AFL to ensure our competition can continue to operate.
“Thank you to everyone who has already sent through their well-wishes, I will now isolate at home and once fully recovered, look forward to getting back to work.”
All Carlton staff will be forced to isolate until they return a negative test.
Cook’s diagnosis comes after Carlton defender Liam Jones made the shock decision to retire rather than have the jab.
Voss this week said he was disappointed by Jones’s decision but respected his right to have a choice.
The Blues will attempt to replace Jones in the supplemental selection period.
Cook’s positive diagnosis follows Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell who tested positive last week.
Richmond pair Noah Balta and Dion Prestia also tested positive as well as a Greater Western Sydney player on Wednesday.
ANOTHER COVID CASE EMERGES AT GIANTS
Greater Western Sydney has confirmed a member of its AFL program has contracted Covid-19 a day after it was revealed an AFLW Giants player had tested positive.
The Giants have said the case is unrelated to its women’s program and came after the club increased testing requirements for staff and players ahead of the restart of pre-season training next Monday.
The club said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon the player will follow NSW Government and AFL health protocol guidelines.
“Every player and staff member associated with the club’s AFLW and AFL programs are fully vaccinated,” the statement read.
The latest positive Covid-19 case comes after Richmond duo Noah Balta and Dion Prestia tested positive over the weekend while there have been numerous other cases in the industry including Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell and throughout various AFLW programs.
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Originally published as AFL Covid: Collingwood forced to cancel training session after Covid scare
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