Demonland

I was holding off starting this thread but Round 1 is a go ... Round 1 • West Coast Eagles v Melbourne Sunday 22 March 2020 • 6:20 PM (AEDT) BEST IN SHOW by Whispering Jack I am writing this knowing that the AFL has deemed that the opening round of competition will proceed but fully believing that it should not. The world is going through cataclysmic change as a result of the overwhelming spread of the Covid-19 virus and I agree that a distraction like sport would be good for the public. However, while the physical threat to the population is bad enough, there are other issues to be addressed including the mental health of the community and the effects on the economy, business and leisure which are profound. Then there is the effect on the sport itself. While many activities are being postponed and cancelled to permit the isolation of participants and thereby minimise the possibility of contracting or passing on illness to the vulnerable in the community, the AFL has forged onwards with a business as usual approach, albeit without the crowds that often give the game what we describe as “atmosphere”. But can we really claim that the show must go on when the health and well being of our elite sporting persons - the players - is at stake? Compare us with the American National Basketball Association which cancelled its season last week when the first player tested positive. Yesterday, it was revealed that one of the game’s superstars Kevin Durant is among four Brooklyn Nets players to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Will we only follow suit when inevitably one of ours is found to be infected? And what then will be the effect on our national game? The AFL has deemed that the show must go on and so it seems it will. Over in Perth where it’s always a difficult place for visiting sides to win, I expect Melbourne to make a good fist of things. I’m expecting the team to be much fitter than this time last year. We should see a great midfield battle with the team at close to full strength there, a stronger defence than the one the club could muster last year, but perhaps still not enough up forward to beat the Eagles on their home turf. And despite the fact that the affirmation of that home crowd in favour of West Coast will be missing, they remain one of the competition’s frontrunners and, by the end of the day, they’ll be the best in show. West Coast by 13 points. TEAMS WEST COAST EAGLES B Jetta McGovern Duggan HB Gaff Yeo Brander C Sheppard Barrass Hurn HF Redden Darling Sheed F Ryan Kennedy Cripps FOLL Naitanui Kelly Shuey I/C Ah Chee Hickey Nelson Petruccelle EMG Hutchings Schofield Waterman Williams MELBOURNE B N Jetta S May J Lever HB O McDonald J Harmes M Hibberd C E Langdon C Oliver A Tomlinson HF A Neal-Bullen B Fritsch J Viney F C Spargo T McDonald A Brayshaw FOLL M Gawn C Petracca J Melksham I/C T Bedford M Brown J Lockhart K Pickett EMG M Hore L Jackson T Sparrow S Weideman Melbourne Football Club: Injury List: Round 1 Kyle Dunkley (heel) — available Sam Weideman (ankle) — available Nathan Jones (Achilles) — test Braydon Preuss (knee) — test Joel Smith (quad) — test Mitch Hannan (groin) — 6 weeks Harry Petty (groin) — 6 weeks Aaron vandenBerg (foot) — 3 months Kade Chandler (finger) — TBC Harley Bennell (calf) — indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij (head) — indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) — season

16.5 minute quarters. 17 Rounds

Expect AFL season to start tomorrow night --- Jay Clark

CEO Gillon McLachlan will speak to the media at 7.45pm AEDT to provide an update relating to the 2020 NAB AFL Women's Competition and the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Some Dockers players will stay away from partners — but Freo insists it’s no club directive

I don't see why they wouldn't have just as the players have. Umpires have been told to prepare for their Round 1 duties. THE LATEST HERE >>> UMPIRES TOLD TO PREPARE FOR DUTY

Not even started yet as per my tweet above this one.

The teleconference between club CEOs and the AFL still hasn't started. This could go late! Live updates: AFL decision drags on into the night as chiefs plan club phone hook-up

I reckon you're on the money here. This is the second meeting with the CEOs. Sounds like it was on after the first. The Commission met and then they meet the CEOs again presumably to tell them that it's off first before the media.

I hardly use cash anymore. Moving the thread to the General Section.

To be fair he would have done this without being isolated.

Sources at the moment are like racing tips during the spring carnival ---- Scott Pendlebury

What 2019 ladder would have looked like if each qtr had ended at 16.5 minutes with overtime 15-7 GEEL 15-7 BRIS 15-7 RICH 14-8 WCE 13-9 GWS 13-9 COLL 13-9 SYD 12-10 HAW 12-10 PORT 12-10 NTH 11-11 WBD 10-12 ADEL 9-13 ESS 9-13 CARL 8-14 FREM 7-15 STK 6-16 MELB 4-18 GCS Via https://twitter.com/sirswampthing

Teams for Thursday night have been announced but no decision on whether the game will be going ahead. AFL phone hook up with CEOs pushed back to start at 6.30. ----- Michael Gleeson

25 hours out from the first bounce and Carlton still haven’t been officially told they are playing. Favours the ‘it’s on unless you here otherwise’ narrative. ----- Tom Morris

Does this mean another delay? AFL has another planned teleconference with CEOs tonight. ---- Daniel Cherny

Insiders indicating footy is still on. Nothing official yet. Still waiting ---- Mark Stevens