The remainder of the A-League season is at the whim of the NSW government after Victoria’s three top-flight teams failed to make it across the border on Monday night.
The FFA will seek an exemption from the NSW government for players and staff after Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western United did not leave Victoria before the midnight Monday deadline for Melbourne residents.
The three A-League clubs scrambled on Monday night, getting players and staff to the airport in a bid to fly to Canberra.
They boarded the plane, only for the flight to be cancelled due to poor visibility at Canberra Airport, leaving them stranded on the tarmac.
Western United captain Alessandro Diamanti recorded the eventful night on his Instagram page – including footage of teammate Andrew Durante loading bags into a car and of players and staff sitting on the plane.
The three clubs had originally planned to fly out on a charter plane on Tuesday – before the full Victoria-NSW border closure from midnight Tuesday.
Victory and United are due to restart the A-League season on July 16, with United then scheduled to play City on July 20.
“As a result, we will now begin the process to seek exemptions from the NSW Government to allow the teams to enter NSW for them to continue their season,” A-League boss Greg O’Rourke said.
“If we find it necessary to revise the match schedule we will do so accordingly and will announce once confirmed, however at this time the schedule remains the same.”
Other professional football codes had made earlier moves to get their teams out of Victoria amid the state’s coronavirus spike.
The 10 AFL clubs departed for NSW and Queensland across Sunday and Monday, the NRL’s Melbourne Storm have been out of Victoria for almost two weeks and Super Rugby’s Melbourne Rebels moved to Canberra on June 26.
chris
Guest
james well said. People with an agenda are now saying a "2 horse race". People like Mike. There were other strong bids coming from Japan and China. They withdrew for a number of reasons, including the fact that Australia was putting forward a very credible bid. Mike can learn a thing or 2 by hanging around the football thread as he prepares for the 2123 AFL womens word cup.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
There's an awful lot that must be different both before and after Qatar....... .....that awarding to Qatar is the single biggest and most astounding piece of sports corruption I think I'll ever see in my lifetime.
jamesb
Roar Guru
But Australia had a superior evaluation report to Japan and Colombia. Japan withdrew, and it was down to a two horse race. And with these world cup events, the days of one nation hosting it will be long gone after Qatar. In 2026, USA could've had it on their own, but instead will joint host it with Mexico and Canada. People can always pile crap on the FFA, but credit where it's due.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
In a 2 horse race with Columbia.......massive vote of confidence that one!!! I reckon it was NZ that dragged it across the line.
jamesb
Roar Guru
It's Ben Buckley's fault....
jamesb
Roar Guru
I can understand where you are coming from. Whenever something goes haywire in Australian football, the FFA always takes the blame. The clubs themselves should also take responsibility, especially if there is an iAL in foreseeable future.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Well....they did somehow get the womens world cup.
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
FFA is such a disorganised rabble
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
You’ve got the story wrong, and you are bending over backwards to excuse the FFA here (or whoever is running the A-League). The three clubs received the advice very late in the piece that they would have had to quarantine for 14 days if they flew into Canberra (they were waiting at Tullamarine). No one stopped the flight. The three teams then decided that that was untenable and decided to go home. But that it even got to this stage is poor planning.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
In fact, they could have bussed it to Albury, all three teams would have fitted on the one bus, 3 hours and 20 min from Melb.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
and Channel 7... ....there was this email.... (it's strange times).
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Fly into Albury or Wagga....a fleet of SAABs ro Dash8s......
Paul2
Guest
I'm pretty sure this is somehow the AFL's fault.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
James I am not saying this was not stuffed up... What I am saying is 1] comparing the A-League to the AFL when the AFL was in the middle of running a competition and roughly 5 days prior had been told the Vic hud was closed... so the AFL was due to leave anyway... Similar to the Storm... whereas the A-League was not in competition. 2] Why was its FFA's job to move the clubs... i.e. costs, accommodation surely is on the clubs... was why is only FFA being blamed and the clubs the victim... for me if anything the clubs messed up. 3] Given from the ACT airport to the NSW / ACT boarder is about a 10 minute drive, how the 111???!!! the ACT airport folk could have said, catch a coach straight to NSW and don't stop in the ACT, which I assume the clubs were going to do anyway. Its just that I am so so so so so so so over if the nets at Woy Woy park are not put op on time its FFA's fault... Steven Lowy is gone... Gallop is gone... a Football person is now CEO, a new governance model was introduced, an independent league was agreed but Fox stepped in an said no TV contract and then the pandemic hit... I am not saying nothing has gone wrong but for the love of Mary why is this FFA's fault alone and not the 3 clubs... or a mixture...
chris
Guest
LH there are some ppl who must always apportion blame to someone. Misfortune or just the way things are sometimes, just doesn't cut it with them. Blame someone always.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Lionheart There was a full round of AFL last weekend with 5 matches (9 Vic teams plus the Gold Coast who played down in Geelong) played in Melbourne including Melb v Richmond late Sunday afternoon. The AFL seem to have managed to get that to all work. The FFA aren't even playing games so had none of those logistical headaches and time constraints. The FFA effectively had free rein to get it done.
jamesb
Roar Guru
If that's the case, then it seems like a lack of communication between the three clubs, the FFA and the Victorian state government.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
True but many of those arrangements were put in place prior to the announcement, the Vic gov last week closed the Vic hub.. so the AFL were already well advanced in their plans, and so was league as both had competition running...
jamesb
Roar Guru
Why are the three clubs stranded in Victoria? They would’ve seen other clubs from other codes leaving earlier, along with the infection rate rising. How many clues do those three clubs need to get out of Victoria ASAP?
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Open question. The ACT is quite small, tiny by Australian standards... I have driven to Canberra a number of times and the NSW / ACT broader for what it is ..... hhhmmmm maybe a 10 minute drive... So a person or official in the ACT stopped a flight when they could have said get coaches to met the plane and drive straight to NSW... wear masks as you walk from the plane to your coach...