AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says Victoria could host a quarantine hub as the league looks at ways to restart the premiership season.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says Victoria remains a viable option to host a quarantine hub as the league edges closer to restarting the 2020 season.
McLachlan revealed on Saturday that he has a tentative return date in his mind and that players should be optimistic about the situation, with the league to announce a return-to-play plan by the end of the month.
The hub concept, which would see teams split into three groups and isolated in different states to limit their exposure to COVID-19, is increasingly likely to come into play.
Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland had been viewed as key states to that strategy, but a drop off in new cases in Victoria has improved chances the state could host a hub.
“Victoria has extraordinary proximate facilities, so there are obviously opportunities, like there are in every state to various levels,” McLachlan told Fox Footy.
“You clearly need venues, options with centralised accommodation, you need training facilities, you need medical facilities and they’re all being assessed.
“There are live examples of things being looked at in every state and territory.”
McLachlan didn’t dismiss a hub hypothetical that was put him that would see games played at the MCG, players and staff housed at the nearby Pullman and Mantra hotels and training sessions held at Collingwood’s headquarters and Richmond’s Punt Road Oval.
Hospitals and scanning facilities are also located nearby.
The AFL chief accepts that there is a level of restlessness among isolated players and that “there is a point where all people need to look forward”.
However, he reiterated the season won’t get back underway without the blessing of relevant state and federal medical authorities.
The AFL has worked with those authorities and international sporting codes to come up with a strict set of protocols that would help safeguard players in a hub scenario.
McLachlan has been at pains to demystify the hub concept that GWS chairman Tony Shepherd has described as potentially having the same level of infection risk as a cruise ship.
“There’s the most extreme (idea) where you are on an island or a green field site, you can put a fence around it and you completely lock it,” he said.
“And then at its least extreme it’s a level of quarantine measures and protocols that mean you’re not actually living your normal life and the way you go about footy.
“What I’ve said is that I think there’s going to be some level of quarantine measures that will mean that when we start it won’t be (a season) as we’ve known it.”
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I quite like all this interstate banter, it’s like being at a Carlton V Collingwood Game back in the day. For me I’m not parochial in any way about the state I happened to live in. Melbourne has shocking traffic and is pretty cold and grey a lot of the year but the city has a good vibe with all the international visitors. To be honest apart from my boys living here Id probably head to Darwin or FNQ. Sydney traffic is worse than Melbourne.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And the worst thing about SA is that it shares a border with Victoria.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'd like to apologise for Gil being originally from SA. This is an eternal shame for me.
RT
Roar Rookie
Reason doesn't come into it for the paranoid SA and WA types.
The Dom is good
Roar Rookie
the best thing about victoria are the roads heading out of the state
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
More interesting is what Gil was told by Brendan Sutton.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
But you've just said something we are aware of, the wafc took over the license, Brian cook moved from ceo of wafc to ceo of wce, Trevor Nisbett took the footy operation role from East Perth royals, Tim jepp and Ian Miller finished the off field roles and Mick Malthouse was hired with Perth demons and Richmond and WA footy legend as his assistant. In his first season as coach Mick took the team to finals even though they spent the final seven weeks travelling east whilst off field cook and Nisbet played hard ball with the newly named AFL in renegotiation of contracts that sent the club broke initially. In 91 at Waverly ffs welost our first of many gf but hey that MCG only hosts GFS are tradition and never will the grandy leave the MCG
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Saying the AFL isn't run by idiots etc etc does show you respect their business practice, why else would a person say such tripe?
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Take it up with MM. He actually said it!
Redb
Roar Guru
Agree truetiger fan, there are some rather large chips on shoulders on here lol
Redb
Roar Guru
With half the teams located in Melbourne, this is not an unreasonable option.
Brian
Guest
Marvel to the MCG is walking accross the Melbourne CBD. Its much less corwded then before but its hardly a hub its the most populated area of the state
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Wow that's a rewrite by someone with no knowledge.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Bring back the good old days, when we had the VFL. That was a great competition.
RT
Roar Rookie
Actually to back up this up, I found this page. Interesting stuff. http://www.footyindustry.com/?page_id=597 It is really only from the late 90s that TV rights started ballooning, particularly when Foxtel came into the picture from 2002.
RT
Roar Rookie
Who knows, but in truth, of the non-Vic clubs, only West Coast and Adelaide have been financially sound for their entire existence. All the others have had problems at one time or another (or ongoing in the case of the two newest clubs). It is not just a Victorian thing. Expansion certainly pushed up TV ratings but that was just as much a product of the administration understanding the potential of TV revenue. i.e. the administration of the AFL went from amateur to professional. Back in the 80s we still had only 3 games on replay on a Saturday night (plus Sydney games every second Sunday). Hardly something that would have brought in the big dollars.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The money was there, just not the expertise on how to develop professional athletes I guess. Don't forget they were still essentially semi-pro back then. John Worsfold was running his own pharmacy and serving customers during weekdays throughout the 90's.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
The preference is Victoria we all know it, would suit the broadcasters to try and recoup some lost revenue due to the centralised media, would also mean the AFL wouldn't have to negotiate terms with various state govt they've ignored for years, as it stands Gil is in a bit of of a bind that favouring Melbourne sides has caused, the AFL does need to grow up and run it like a successful sporting enterprise so when the next global issue happens they aren't running to a bank like a leper, make the competition fairer and money will follow, pandering to one state will just lead to the same issue again, it's sad that the AFL had to borrow against its one asset to stay afloat.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
ROFL yes desiring a level playing field is definitely wanting the world to revolve around us, kiddo time to grow up. No need to be worried about reporting since this little thing called the internet, I have access to news and radio from all states about sport you should try it out.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Yep absolutely, only go back 15 years and Richmond's thermometer outside punt Rd or now with st Kilda poor finances. If the Vic's read history instead of rewriting it then they might have a bit more solid opinions than the same we've heard for past 30 years but hey they don't like truth to much.