AFL officially green-lights Round 1 despite coronavirus concerns

That 4 minutes will be closer to 8 minutes in total minutes - it will make a big difference. I hope they keep it at 16 minutes when things return to normal, 35 minute quarters are far too long for physical running game like footy. Just reduce interchanges to 40 per game to balance things. No wonder AFL players are completely stuffed after 5-6 rounds, no wonder they need byes during the season just to stagger through to the finals. Rugby has 45 minute halves and the EPL is similar - GAA just have 35 minute halves. At least the AFL can try some things that needed to be tested.

Hope so but look at the panicking Italy rate.

Yeah but I’m saying millions already have it but are not confirmed cases. Only the people checking into hospital. The real rate will maybe be 0.1%. There is no way we are at a 3% death rate. We will have more similar viruses for years to come now. Had bird flu or swine flu been around in today’s social media environment, we would be doing the same thing as We are with corona

All those banging on about this decision being about money are right, but not in the way that they think. Alongside the threats that covid 19 pose to people's health and lives stand the threats to their livelihoods posed by the various measures taken to reduce its spread. One third of Qantas's workforce stood down not because of the disease but because of the cancellation of international travel. Oddly, some people seem to be taking these lay-offs as justification for arguing that hundreds of thousands of other people should be deprived of an income as well. I've not yet seen it confirmed by a second source or follow-up story, but I've read a report that the AFL was leaning towards cancelling/postponing the season but the Federal Minister for Health and Chief Medical Officer dissuaded them. I expect that the thinking here is that the cancellation of the season and the impact that would have on the flow of money through the industry and subsequently into the economy would be too much to bear. Federal stimulus packages can only achieve so much and are often blunt instruments which fail to get the money to those who need it most.

Maybe that’s where we end up. My daughter had swine flu. Not fun.

afl.com.au: MINISTER AND MEDICO 'WON THE DAY FOR FOOTY' Contrary to popular belief, the AFL wasn't hellbent on starting the 2020 season tonight. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire – a member of the League's hand-picked 'war cabinet' to help steer the game through the coronavirus pandemic – has made the surprising revelation that the AFL had to be talked out of postponing the start of the season by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy. "It was maybe 12 hours of discussion throughout the course of the day and the competition was off for about 11-and-a-half of them," McGuire said on radio station Triple M on Thursday. "Greg Hunt and the head medical officer Brendan Murphy, they won the day for footy. They convinced the commission."

Scott, the figure of dead is already far in access.

I actually got swine flu. No kidding, it sucked but I’ve had a worse flu before. This is different, but I think we’ll find the mortality rate in the end will be about the same as swine and bird flu, perhaps even less (SARS was worse). The only difference now is social media. People who aren’t even interested in the news, get the news. We get to hear from every panicky person, panicking at the same time. The real numbers of infected are going to be well into the millions by now. When you consider the overcrowded developing countries next to China, then the infected rate is maybe in 10s of millions. India apparently only has 180 cases, Vietnam 76, you’d highly doubt that’s correct. Throw in Indo, Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma etc. It’s out now and what the world is doing to slow it down is good, but this may prove to be even less deadly then those 2 other flus. The 6 dead in Australia were 78,90,82,77,86 and 95 years old. I reckon this may become the new norm now, the world will go into lock down every 5 years or so when a new virus comes out. This won’t be the last time footy is cancelled that’s for sure.

Fair call.

I have had the sniffles for the last month. I haven’t gone to see my 80 year old mum. Probably go to WA in the next three weeks. I would have a beer, but if the sniffles are there forget it.

Surely a Cotchin twinge? If Doherty gets through, a first. But yes we need some footy.

Should be good even though weird with no crowds. Close game and no injuries would be some positive news.

Very misleading.! From a Time article 'The mortality rate in South Korea, where more than 1,100 tests have been administered per million residents, comes out to just 0.6%, for example. In the U.S., where only seven tests have been administered per million residents, the mortality rate is above 5%.' The 3.5-4% death rate is obviously inflated due to poor rates of testing .

This is my last post I hope. Eddie etc are saying this could cost AFL clubs millions. I have an idea. Why don't the clubs follow Qantas's lead. There is no reserves football, clubs have 45 players on their lists. Just stand down 15 or so, that will save costs.

Ask the 2/3 of Qantas employees stood down about their uncertainty. I am sure AFL going forward will give them great comfort. It might not happen but Mathew Lloyd in an article said he had heard some players might withdraw from teams this weekend. 88% of players wanted to go ahead. The other 12% ?

Great thoughts. Lets just hope it never comes to anything like that.

I have followed Richmond since the mid sixties. However AFL is my third most followed sport. Real football (Soccer) No 1, then cricket (close behind), Then AFL, then golf, then tennis, then Rugby (not NRL), then etc.

It's all good. I'm not actually an AFL fan to be honest.

I'm not sure what it achieves. I suspect they have wanted to trial this for some time, and are using this situation to do so.

My dad and mum are over 70 and sharing a final game of footy with them would be something I'd treasure if they are to be amongst the unfortunate ones.