Coronavirus: could the 2020 AFL season be called off?

[Twodogs]

Hopefully he doesn’t have it but can’t play. Think that’s the fairest result for everyone.

Precisely. I have a top secret list of Collingwood players that I am fairly sure have the virus.

Funnily enough it corresponds exactly with the top ten place getters in last years Copeland trophy!

[1eyedog]

I am copying and pasting this and using it as my opinion on the topic from now on.

It's basically the PMs brief yesterday. Maybe defer to to announcements from the Chief Medical Officer via the PM.

[1eyedog]

Just in Pendlebury quarantined

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/03/...like-symptoms/

[BornInDroopSt'54]

It will take one player or staff member to be tested positive to shut down the whole comp. Once a club has it the powers that be will blow the siren I fear. We will all be playing tiddly winks at home.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Not even the world wars have stopped a season of Aussie Rules. For parallels, this from Wiki:


"World War II had many effects on the organisation of football in Australia:

Geelong was unable to compete in the competition because of wartime travel restrictions. Temporary transfers to other clubs were available to Geelong players (limit of three per club).
Melbourne and Collingwood struggled to field a team, and at one stage considered amalgamating into a joint team,[1] however they were both ultimately able to compete.
Hawthorn and Collingwood withdrew their teams from the reserves competition.
Available servicemen were often called upon to make up the numbers - this accounts for the drop in form of the Melbourne team, having previously won three premierships in a row.
The VFA went into recess, and any eligible players were given temporary league permits.[2]
The Brownlow Medal was suspended until 1946.
Many ground changes were also forced upon teams, as their usual home grounds were used in the war effort. The new grounds used were Yarraville Oval (Footscray), Toorak Park (St Kilda), Punt Road Oval (Melbourne) and Princes Park (South Melbourne).[3]
Government regulations meant the traditional matches on the King's Birthday public holiday could not be played until 1946.[4]"

[bornadog]

At this stage NRL, A league and basketball all continuing. Will the AFL want to shut down and potenially lose even more fans?

[Axe Man]

VFL officially suspended "for the foreseeable future".

The Eastern Football Netball League has immediately suspended all training, practice matches and events across the entire Competition until further notice.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

At this stage NRL, A league and basketball all continuing. Will the AFL want to shut down and potenially lose even more fans?

I think the season will be postponed. I just can't see anyway that the AFL doesn't respond to the growing unease.

[bornadog]

Just in Pendlebury quarantined

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/03/...like-symptoms/

Results negative

[bornadog]

I think the season will be postponed. I just can't see anyway that the AFL doesn't respond to the growing unease.

UPDATE:

* AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says state leagues season will be delayed until end of May

* AFL reduced to 17 games play everyone once

*Round one still up in the air, as is this week's AFLW round. Should know by end of tomorrow

* Looking at supplementary players

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I can't see why the season should be called off at this stage. Other workplaces with similar numbers are expected to work. Sure if a few clubs get it then shut down perhaps if a comp can't be wrangled from the remaining.

[Go_Dogs]

Common sense prevails. Good news.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

So why make the call of a 17 game season but not confirm round 1 is delayed? The two don’t add up

[The Underdog]

So why make the call of a 17 game season but not confirm round 1 is delayed? The two don’t add up

If they can get 3-4 games played before they have to stop then that's 3-4 they don't have to play later. There's no guarantee a season could start in 5 weeks, so get them played now if possible.

[Before I Die]

Even with a flattened curve, the situation is going to get worse, not better, for a number of months. A delay would only make sense if it is to buy time to sort out the logistics and contingency plans.