6 minutes ago, Damo said:

Now if I were Tassies premier... Id make a couple of calls.

Eagles in Hobart, Freo in Launceston?

I cannot see AFL footy being played in WA in the early part of the season.

There's simply no way WA will allow potentially infected teams from the rest of Australia in nor allow their own teams to leave and return.

WA teams will have to hub interstate.

Friendly reminder to leave politics out of the discussion.

Keep discussion on the situation and the ramifications for the AFL season.

15 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

A "Covid crisis" according to 7 News. I think using the word "crisis" is way over the top given we are in the off season. I appreciate the writers like alliteration, but they haven't really left themselves anywhere to go should something actually serious happen They need to go back to the rules of commentary from Richie Benaud, particularly Rule 7

34 minutes ago, Demonland said:

WA teams will have to hub interstate.

Agree but will they revamp the first six odd weeks so they are all away games for the Perth sides.

Forget the fairness etc but there will be pressure to maximise the gate figures for all teams after two years of compromised attendances.

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Agree but will they revamp the first six odd weeks so they are all away games for the Perth sides.

Forget the fairness etc but there will be pressure to maximise the gate figures for all teams after two years of compromised attendances.

Forget making them all away games. We had to play home games interstate. So can they. 

Star West Coast forward Jack Darling has been banned from club facilities and his future is up in the air after he did not meet a vaccination deadline for AFL players in Western Australia.

Players in the state were to have had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination by Friday, with the club saying the premiership forward had “not adhered” to the league protocols.

"The club will continue to support Jack as he contemplates his options and is optimistic that he will return to build on his outstanding career to date."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/jack-darling-west-coast-eagles-covid-vaccine-mandate/100772604

Given the 3-4 weeks between first and second dose he better get a move on

25 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Forget making them all away games. We had to play home games interstate. So can they. 

 

I am torn on this.

From a COVID perspective I wish our VIC state leaders took a leaf out of McGowan's book. 

However from an AFL fixture perspective the decision the WA govt make to shut their borders should not automatically equate to a redraft...'they cannot have their cake and eat it too' comes to mind. 

I like the idea of relocating WA/Freo to Tassie..There are a million excuses as to why this wont succeed, but just imagine if the Tassie govt could make it work...would go a long way in showing the viability of a 19th team in the comp. 

34 minutes ago, CYB said:

 

I am torn on this.

From a COVID perspective I wish our VIC state leaders took a leaf out of McGowan's book. 

However from an AFL fixture perspective the decision the WA govt make to shut their borders should not automatically equate to a redraft...'they cannot have their cake and eat it too' comes to mind. 

I like the idea of relocating WA/Freo to Tassie..There are a million excuses as to why this wont succeed, but just imagine if the Tassie govt could make it work...would go a long way in showing the viability of a 19th team in the comp. 

Please keep opinions of COVID policy out of these threads. 

3 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

They need to go back to the rules of commentary from Richie Benaud, particularly Rule 7

BT needs to read this. In particular, Rule 5. 

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

"The club will continue to support Jack as he contemplates his options and is optimistic that he will return to build on his outstanding career to date."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/jack-darling-west-coast-eagles-covid-vaccine-mandate/100772604

Given the 3-4 weeks between first and second dose he better get a move on

I respect the right for people not to be vaccinated everyone has that choice, however you have a clear mandate from the League that has been in place for a while, if  his position is not to be vaccinated then should have informed the club sooner so they can replace him on the list.  It is like he hedged his bets hoping that the mandate will change, now it hasn't he will decide either get the jab or quit AFL.  

Liam Jones was coming to the end of his AFL career, Darling still has 5+ years to go, big call again hedge bets sit out of AFL for a year and hope policy changes, get the Jab keep playing or walk away from the game at the top level.

If the vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission what’s the point of the mandate? Especially for very fit and healthy athletes who don’t get severe disease so won’t be clogging up our hospitals. 

26 minutes ago, BDA said:

If the vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission what’s the point of the mandate? Especially for very fit and healthy athletes who don’t get severe disease so won’t be clogging up our hospitals. 

there's a difference between preventing, reducing or no effect

vaxxing reduces transmission, not prevents and reduces viral payload (or so we are told)

27 minutes ago, BDA said:

If the vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission what’s the point of the mandate? Especially for very fit and healthy athletes who don’t get severe disease so won’t be clogging up our hospitals. 

I was at a luncheon prior to Christmas, a medical person that was involved at high level sport spoke and one point he made was the unknown effect covid may have on Athlete's lungs and how each will recover differently.  As you say they might not clog up hospitals but if it helps players avoid any long term effects, more so wiping out your entire clubs list for weeks, the mandate has a bit of merit. 

the WA teams could really mess things up (for themselves 😂)

 

We may end up starting the season with most teams having 70-80% of players having caught and recovered from Covid, but they may have zero, they are the two clubs at most risk of being unable to field a team over a 2-3 week period 

7 hours ago, Clintosaurus said:

Eagles in Hobart, Freo in Launceston?

Other way round? Hobart has a dock.

7 minutes ago, TRIGON said:

Other way round? Hobart has a dock.

Nah, our Eagles game is away. Less travel for me.

On 1/18/2022 at 10:24 AM, faultydet said:

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.

 

Hope all is well.

 

9 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Agree but will they revamp the first six odd weeks so they are all away games for the Perth sides.

Forget the fairness etc but there will be pressure to maximise the gate figures for all teams after two years of compromised attendances.

That is ridiculous. If they have to hub   then home and away games are played in a different state. There is no way they should be paid back home games later in the season because of this current stupidity.

12 hours ago, drdrake said:

At some stage the residents of WA will start to crack it, you basically have lost your summer National/international sport and events.  Now unless he back flips again your really are ruling out 6 months more of this.  The Ashes WA fans can cop but losing home Football for a season going to be massive backlash.

You would think that a Queensland relocation for the two WA clubs might be on the cards, it will really depend which state chips in some money to soften the blow for the AFL.  Going to be some very upset players and fans in WA this morning.

There is no question that the WA hospital system in no where ready for a large covid out break, he knows if this gets into his state he will go from hero to zero very quickly.

Maybe a 16 team 2022 season sans WA??

That would certainly stir up the sandgropers 

2 hours ago, dl4e said:

That is ridiculous. If they have to hub   then home and away games are played in a different state. There is no way they should be paid back home games later in the season because of this current stupidity.

We played home games against Brisbane and Collingwood in Sydney in 2021 costing us a lot of money in the process. We also had to play home finals in Adelaide and Perth. Their home games will just be relocated to a neutral venue same as other clubs last year.

One more....

BRISBANE will place midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen on its inactive list after he failed to meet the AFL's COVID-19 protocols. 

9 hours ago, drdrake said:

if  his position is not to be vaccinated then should have informed the club sooner so they can replace him on the list

It has been fairly widely known for months, but he can only be stood down or whatever once the mandate came into force in WA - which was this week.