Going to be quite a year isn’t it. Clubs that get hit with a covid outbreak mid season may be worse off than clubs getting it now. virus timing may influence the premiership. Then there is the possibility of massive outs for one side  pre big games leading to one sided slaughters on prime time. Games cancelled, ring in players, schedule changes…. interesting times.

I feel grateful we got a flag in front of 60k in a relatively simple year! It’s just so hard to predict what’s coming now. I’ll go to the g (when/ if it’s possible ) with a heightened awareness of the pleasure in it. Regardless…. we are premiers. No one and nothing can ever take that away now. 

The NBA are getting around this constant issue of unavailable players through what we would consider ‘3 game contracts’.

That would be the more cost effective way of supplementing as needed. expand lists from the season for all clubs would mean base wages per annum of >$100k for each player.

Some clubs will escape too much disruption during the season and some will be decimated.

If I was the FD, I would identify 8-10 Casey players that could fill in roles and begin to bring them across those roles.

Some people are comparing COVID to the Bubonic Plague but they had an oversupply of rats back then.

We now see WA completely cut off from the rest of Australia. Will they be part of the Commonwealth in 2022? To be honest I don't care if they stay locked up in WA. 

As far as AFL men's competition is concerned you would think the WA teams would have to base themselves in the East or not be part of the competition especially in the first half of the season. I won't miss them but I doubt the AFL would want to lose the money associated with having them out of the competition. 

Edited January 14, 20223 yr by old dee

1 hour ago, old dee said:

We now see WA completely cut off from the rest of Australia. Will they be part of the Commonwealth in 2022? To be honest I don't care if they stay locked up in WA. 

As far as AFL men's competition is concerned you would think the WA teams would have to base themselves in the East or not be part of the competition especially in the first half of the season. I won't miss them but I doubt the AFL would want to lose the money associated with having them out of the competition. 

TBH I don't see much of a net benefit to WA opening up pre April/May. If they can keep the Big O out for the rest of January why do a Queensland in February. There's no perfect time to open up but as Qld, SA etc found out now wasn't a good idea. Everything points to Omicron burning itself out by mid March (just in time for the next variant)

WA teams moving to the east coast for 2 months is a small price especially if those games were designated as non home games allowing a string of home games later on.

2 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

TBH I don't see much of a net benefit to WA opening up pre April/May. If they can keep the Big O out for the rest of January why do a Queensland in February. There's no perfect time to open up but as Qld, SA etc found out now wasn't a good idea. Everything points to Omicron burning itself out by mid March (just in time for the next variant)

WA teams moving to the east coast for 2 months is a small price especially if those games were designated as non home games allowing a string of home games later on.

I don't blame them for trying to keep Omicron out DJ but there are penalties that you must be happy to take.

I don't share your optimism that Omicron will be burnt out by March, I see 2022 being the worst year yet for sport and Sport attendance. I recently read an article saying we should be prepared for a decade of associated Covid problems. That might just about see me out. So I need to accept that the current is my new normal. If true that means we have approx. 8 years to go.

3 hours ago, old dee said:

I don't share your optimism that Omicron will be burnt out by March, I see 2022 being the worst year yet for sport and Sport attendance.

Perhaps. In theory, we should be on the decline by then. Against that, from what we've seen Covid is also seasonal and peaks over the winter months, so perhaps we'll start to get a new wave building through autumn.

What might help though is booster shots - I assume that a lot of players would be ready for boosters by the time the season starts. Boosters really seem to have an impact, at least in keeping symptoms down and shortening infection period.

5 hours ago, bing181 said:

Perhaps. In theory, we should be on the decline by then. Against that, from what we've seen Covid is also seasonal and peaks over the winter months, so perhaps we'll start to get a new wave building through autumn.

What might help though is booster shots - I assume that a lot of players would be ready for boosters by the time the season starts. Boosters really seem to have an impact, at least in keeping symptoms down and shortening infection period.

Boosters don't seem to be helping in terms of contracting COVID. Seems that they assist is terms of severity and length of the illness.

Everyone should get boostered (there is no more fully vaxed just being up to date with your COVID vax) but even being up to date won't stop the disruptions. We don't even know yet whether or how long catching this variant will keep us "immune" from contracting it again either in the short or long term. Immunity may only be weeks or a couple of months.

Then there is likely to be other variants too.

Footy in 2022 will be a shambles. Having players contract it now might be good for the preseason but what happens if and perhaps when we start to see re-infections in a few months? What's going to happen during the colder months?

 

8 hours ago, Demonland said:

Boosters don't seem to be helping in terms of contracting COVID.

"vaccine effectiveness estimates against symptomatic Omicron infection of between 0% and 20% after two doses, and between 55% and 80% after a booster dose."

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232698/omicron-largely-evades-immunity-from-past/

Only one study, but still.

(agree about the shambles part.)

Edited January 14, 20223 yr by bing181

It’s starting to feel like the success of the season is going to be based on reinfection likelihood. We are clearly in the transition from pandemic to endemic, so this year is going to be all about how young athletes react to being re-exposed. I’d suggest most players on a list in Melbourne and Sydney will have had Omicron by Round 1. It’s about what happens then, and that is still anyones guess.

I’d also imagine WA might find it’s delay strategy potentially damaging to its football teams.

*As an aside I’m on day 5 of having COVID. It was harsh, but it was very much the flu. I’m 43 but my younger friends (late 20’s) bounced back super quick and got it done within 3-4 days. My older parents (70’s) took about 6-7 days to move through it (all double dosed). I’m happy to answer anyones questions. 👍

Hope you’re feeling better with the passing of each day, @The heart beats true. 💖

You mentioned all in your family and friends circle, as well as yourself, were double vaxxed. Had you or any of the others been given the booster before contracting it?

Edited January 15, 20223 yr by WalkingCivilWar

The situation in the AFLW suggests that planning should already be made for situations where clubs are affected by the virus.

I think all clubs have a feeder team in the next tier of competition below the AFL eg VFL, SANFL, WAFL. Therefore, the AFL could introduce a Rookie Category C of up to 8 players who would be trained at their second tier clubs and elevated as Senior players as the need arises.  In addition, for cases of special needs eg. where a suitable ruckman is not available on a club’s list, an application for elevation to a club’s list could be made from outside (including another clubs’ Category C list if the player is not being used). 

All such elevations to Senior lists to be in blocs of three matches.

6 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

It’s starting to feel like the success of the season is going to be based on reinfection likelihood. We are clearly in the transition from pandemic to endemic, so this year is going to be all about how young athletes react to being re-exposed. I’d suggest most players on a list in Melbourne and Sydney will have had Omicron by Round 1. It’s about what happens then, and that is still anyones guess.

I’d also imagine WA might find it’s delay strategy potentially damaging to its football teams.

*As an aside I’m on day 5 of having COVID. It was harsh, but it was very much the flu. I’m 43 but my younger friends (late 20’s) bounced back super quick and got it done within 3-4 days. My older parents (70’s) took about 6-7 days to move through it (all double dosed). I’m happy to answer anyones questions. 👍

Im currently at home isolating after a Covid test having worked in very close proximity to a bloke who tested positive the day after I worked with him. I was masked when we were in the vehicle together while (mostly) he was not.

If it turns out to be Covid, its like a hybrid cold/flu. No sore throat at all, and severe fever for approx 12hrs on the first full day of symptoms, followed by a flick-of-the-switch cessation of fever, replaced by cold sweats, headache and annoying cough with phlegm.

Now, on day 4, i just have the phlegm cough and feel a bit pizzy after several Rum and Cokes.

Hoping it is Covid, but feel it isn't.

 

13 minutes ago, Apocalypse XXXI said:

The situation in the AFLW suggests that planning should already be made for situations where clubs are affected by the virus.

I think all clubs have a feeder team in the next tier of competition below the AFL eg VFL, SANFL, WAFL. Therefore, the AFL could introduce a Rookie Category C of up to 8 players who would be trained at their second tier clubs and elevated as Senior players as the need arises.  In addition, for cases of special needs eg. where a suitable ruckman is not available on a club’s list, an application for elevation to a club’s list could be made from outside (including another clubs’ Category C list if the player is not being used). 

All such elevations to Senior lists to be in blocs of three matches.

Makes too much sense.

The only thing is that in some cases, the talent within the new category of contingency players would be fairly thin. If you take the Casey Demons as an example where the MFC had a good year injury wise, there were some occasions last year when there were barely half a dozen VFL affiliates in their side and some of them might have spent less than 50% time on ground in games. 

6 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Hope you’re feeling better with the passing of each day, @The heart beats true. 💖

You mentioned all in your family and friends circle, as well as yourself, were double vaxxed. Had you or any of the others been given the booster before contracting it?

I had my booster on Saturday and tested positive Monday - so not enough time for it to work effectively. 

My partner and a friend of ours both had boosters in December, and both tested positive but with no symptoms. The booster seems to be much more effective than just double vaxxed. 

My entire family got told today that their PCR test they did a week ago had to be thrown out due to huge demand. I wouldn’t be buying the numbers. I suspect they are 100-200% higher than what is being reported. So many people I know are sick.

15 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

I had my booster on Saturday and tested positive Monday - so not enough time for it to work effectively. 

My partner and a friend of ours both had boosters in December, and both tested positive but with no symptoms. The booster seems to be much more effective than just double vaxxed. 

My entire family got told today that their PCR test they did a week ago had to be thrown out due to huge demand. I wouldn’t be buying the numbers. I suspect they are 100-200% higher than what is being reported. So many people I know are sick.

The current numbers are not accurate. My sister in the country came down with covid last Sunday. She was quite sick Monday and Tuesday. Her only breathing problem was a cough, it was the worst flu experience she has ever had.  She had the rat test at home ( she had bought some 3 months ago)  to show she was positive. Her husband so far has no problems. She did not notify the government. In her words what would be the point! She is ok today still got the cough but not as bad. They have been isolating, her husband starts work tomorrow and will test himself tomorrow morning. Both had AZ and were due for boosters this coming week. Now I know she is just one but how many others are there in a similar position? How many people have covid like my sister but cannot get get tested and are just going through the process at home. As my sister said it would have been impossible for her to go to a testing place and wait for hours. She said going to the toilet was a major experditíon. 

22 hours ago, old dee said:

The current numbers are not accurate. My sister in the country came down with covid last Sunday. She was quite sick Monday and Tuesday. Her only breathing problem was a cough, it was the worst flu experience she has ever had.  She had the rat test at home ( she had bought some 3 months ago)  to show she was positive. Her husband so far has no problems. She did not notify the government. In her words what would be the point! She is ok today still got the cough but not as bad. They have been isolating, her husband starts work tomorrow and will test himself tomorrow morning. Both had AZ and were due for boosters this coming week. Now I know she is just one but how many others are there in a similar position? How many people have covid like my sister but cannot get get tested and are just going through the process at home. As my sister said it would have been impossible for her to go to a testing place and wait for hours. She said going to the toilet was a major experditíon. 

Update: Her husband has tested positive today, so far a bad headache. 

I keep coming across twenty-somethings who’ve tested positive then had either ‘no symptoms’ or a couple of days cough. When I ask those if it was like the flu, they reply it was more like ‘a cold’. Different for different age-groups of course, but there’s undoubtedly a high number of those who’ve had the virus but haven’t been recorded as such. We are rapidly heading for endemic stage. Boosters will evolve to strain specificity, such as Pfizer’s ‘Omicron booster’ currently in the works. Treatments for the ‘illness’ will also evolve and improve. Putting aside the inexplicable attitude toward vaccines by some (a fractional percentage in Australia, thankfully), and the developed world’s greed-fuelled neglect of vulnerable countries, the global response to this pandemic is remarkable. Far from what it could be obviously, but compared to its obvious precedent, the Spanish Flu, remarkable nonetheless. All we need do now is redirect our vocational values system toward health and community (hospital staff on garbage wages are currently being slaughtered), and away from its frank obsession with ‘wealth accumulation’, and the future’s looking bright. 

On 1/15/2022 at 4:20 PM, faultydet said:

Im currently at home isolating after a Covid test having worked in very close proximity to a bloke who tested positive the day after I worked with him. I was masked when we were in the vehicle together while (mostly) he was not.

If it turns out to be Covid, its like a hybrid cold/flu. No sore throat at all, and severe fever for approx 12hrs on the first full day of symptoms, followed by a flick-of-the-switch cessation of fever, replaced by cold sweats, headache and annoying cough with phlegm.

Now, on day 4, i just have the phlegm cough and feel a bit pizzy after several Rum and Cokes.

Hoping it is Covid, but feel it isn't.

 

I got my positive result last night.

Apart from 1 really awful day at the start, it was easier than the hangover I have right now, although I mowed the lawn yesterday and was quite surprised at how hard it was to get enough oxygen in the lungs.

 

Makes sense... will they do it ?

Australia’s second busiest gateway, Melbourne Airport, wants COVID-19 testing requirements for inbound international travellers relaxed, arguing they do little to protect public health at a time Australia is recording tens of thousands of new cases a day.

https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/no-higher-risk-melbourne-airport-pushes-to-covid-19-test-rules-20220118-p59p3r.html

TBH incoming tests for most countries are of little use. Plays well however to the local citizenry

There is some suggestion that the omicron wave may have peaked in Victoria, but not necessarily everywhere else (eg, Queensland). If you're not already doing so I strongly recommend following @dbRaevn on Twitter for the best data on Covid numbers, hospitalisations and vaccination rates.

However, we can't ignore the possibility of another variant arriving and causing fresh havoc. And the next one should be called pi, so it might be 3.14159 times worse. Or not.

Forgive me if I've already mentioned - one little slice of hope for a genuine end to the variant cycle is a US Army medical research project that has actually been smouldering along for a very long time but suddenly found itself fully funded.

Basically, they had previously been working on a very long term project for a comprehensive coronavirus-type vaccine, covering flu, various SARS, etc..

If anyone remembers the cheesy sci-fi movie The Core, there's a scene where a Dr Brasseldon(?) has been stuck out in the desert for 30 years or so, going a bit crazy working on his bizarre invention for tunneling into the earth. Suddenly it becomes crucial to saving the world from total disaster, so 'our heroes' turn up for a demonstration and ask him, "How much would it cost to have this thing operation in, say, three months?" "Uh... fifty... fifty billion dollars?" "Can we put it on card, we'll get flyer miles?"

That's more or less what has happened to this obscure Army medical research team. Something that was an ongoing project that could have taken decades is now front and center and has just begun human clinical trials.

IF it works, Covid can go in the bin and so can swine flu, bird flu and most of your damn sniffles too.

Except for anti-vaxxers, of course. Glad they weren't around when we were killing smallpox.

6 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

There is some suggestion that the omicron wave may have peaked in Victoria, but not necessarily everywhere else (eg, Queensland). If you're not already doing so I strongly recommend following @dbRaevn on Twitter for the best data on Covid numbers, hospitalisations and vaccination rates.

However, we can't ignore the possibility of another variant arriving and causing fresh havoc. And the next one should be called pi, so it might be 3.14159 times worse. Or not.

Lucky the Greek alphabet only has 24 letters so there's only 9 more variants to go 🤣

11 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Lucky the Greek alphabet only has 24 letters so there's only 9 more variants to go 🤣

apparently they will then move onto naming them after universes..........infinite number 😪