AFL: Tom Morris joins Fox Sports News on the growing risk of COVID looming over the AFL as the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants flee to Queensland in hopes of avoiding a Victorian lockdown.
Dave Hughes complied with the AFL’s decision to move clubs to Queensland.
Australian comedian Dave Hughes says he has passed the resolution allowing AFL players to travel to Queensland amid the Covid-19 outbreak in Melbourne.
Earlier this week, the AFL season plunged into chaos and several AFL clubs fled Melbourne for the Sunshine State when the city went into a fifth hard lockdown.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premier League season and on call in Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14 days loose now>
On Saturday, it showed that at least one player or staff member from Essendon, North Melbourne and Sydney isolated himself in a heavy lockdown after visiting ‘level one’ locations in Victoria before leaving the state.
But in a huge relief for the AFL, players and 8 clubs who have visited the exhibition sites in Victoria in recent days tested negative for Covid-19.
Hughes took to social media with an explicit frustration that AFL clubs that had been exposed to the virus in Melbourne had been moved to the state, putting that network at risk.
It is strange how @afl is allowed to be compared to citizens, to get on planes flying all over the country. Why does everyone have to go through a 2-week quarantine?Https://t. co/nk1W7ETIom
“Why were the Swans put in and transported to Queensland from Melbourne after the Melb outbreak began?”wrote on Twitter.
“They’re bats**t crazy. “
Why did @afl pull clubs out of Melbourne to play between states after the Melb outbreak began?Why did QLD allow this to happen? Https://t. co/2r0tH33zye
“Flying all those groups out of Melbourne to play matches than having them playing at Melb when it was already apparent that the players/staff would have been exposed is amazing,” Hughes added.
The 50-year-old wasn’t inspired to see a Western Bulldogs player interacting with the crowd after his opposite game to Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
“I know I’m harassing, but I’m just watching the Western Bulldog player with the crowd at the Gold Coast game,” Hughes said.
Dave Hughes was not the same as always when he opposed the AFL’s decisions related to Covid-19. Photo: Alex Coppel. Source: News Corp Australia
“I don’t understand. Is the border closed or not?Are there no protocols for Victorians newcomers to QLD?Really confused?@AFL. “
Hughes obviously disagreed with the resolution to move AFL clubs from Melbourne to Queensland for the foreseeable future, he didn’t know if the players and staff had been at the exhibition sites.
Taking all those groups out of Melbourne to play games that make them play in Melb, when it was already apparent that the players/staff would have been exposed is amazing.
Hughes invited through his fans, adding former Port Adelaide player turned skilled Kane Cornes, if he liked the AFL season not to take place.
“Are you disappointed by the departure of the Olympic athletes, the cricketers in the West Indies, the tennis players at Wimbledon?” asked Cornes to Hughes.
“Kane, they go to covid hotspots and if they infect other people there, those countries probably won’t be shut down,” Hughes replied.
“You’re more than that as an argument!”
All matches may have been played in Melbourne. Flying players from blocked Melb to Covid 0 spaces is crazy. QD/WA/SA risking your existing 0 Covid utopias for this is crazy. https://t. co/cqLX3ksKqt