Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt is open to the idea of playing more games with shorter turnarounds while in an AFL hub, but the two-time premiership star says the Tigers might need to call for reinforcements.
The move, possibly resulting in teams playing games off four-day breaks, gathered momentum on Thursday as league officials pondered the ramifications of Victoria’s worsening COVID-19 outlook.
The reigning premiers and the other nine Victorian teams scrambled to leave the state early this week as the AFL sought to overcome the latest roadblock of the troubled season.
Just days after arriving in the Queensland hub, with the Tigers to isolate for 14 days, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews reintroduced strict lockdown measures.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan had promised players they would be away for a maximum of 32 days.
The league is contemplating cramming more games into that period to give greater flexibility should the season suffer further coronavirus interruptions.
“There is obviously a lot of water to go under the bridge but, in principle, I think we would beokay with playing games off four or five-day breaks,” Riewoldt told his Balls and Bumpers podcast.
“Maybe after three in a row, you might start to look for the end of the tunnel.
“I think there are a few complexities to it … we were asked to bring a smaller list up here because more people on the ground is more cost.
“Whilst trying to do the right thing, we have left some players back in Melbourne and two of those players are Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards, then we’ve got a few injured guys.
“We’d have to ask the question about getting guys up here, but we have got pretty limited facilities and how do they fit in with that?
“Ground availability is another one and can grounds withstand playing games of footy nearly every second day?”
Riewoldt, who left his infant daughter and wife in Melbourne, believed the league could broker a new deal with the clubs to extend their stay away from home if it meant saving the season.
“In a season that’s already running out of time, it might be the most sensible thing to keep the players up here and try to knock over as many games as you can,” he said.
“It’s pretty fluid.”
Eddie from Elwood
Roar Rookie
Perfectly good question about the grounds regardless of whether he's a grounds man or not.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
It’s still grass; it still gets chopped up with use. That’s the original reason they got rid of the seconds games before the seniors.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
288 new cases in Vic today
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Fair enough mate, only premier I'm annoyed with is Dan Andrews and honestly I feel for the people stuck in Melbourne but I'm getting a bit tired of the woe is us Vic footy media that should be stoked we have something we love to distract from what is a heavily emotional time for everyone.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
That’s not good Matti. My daughter was in NSW and I luckily got to see her last weekend. Yes Riewoldt should just bite it and go on. I think perhaps he is missing the limelight. That what happens when you go from a number one side to number eleven. My point about the states is that we are all in this as Australians. All the teams are in as the AFL. The premiers playing politics are disgraceful.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
I've got over 200 reasons today and tickets to see Geelong next week if I can be bothered going to Perth overnight and a pub meal reservation tonight as to why you keep telling yourself I envy supposed home of football.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
You need to take the blinkers off and realise there is a world outside the east coast of Australia.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Fact your comparing a suburban/country ground with council or volunteer groundskeeping to a professional sports arena with high quality multi soil drainage, top quality lawn and a full-time staff to maintain it is smile inducing, I could compare my local country golf course which runs on our volunteer labour mostly to st Andrews geez Louise.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I'm curious, what's your knowledge of his knowledge of groundskeeping?
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
No, just don't see how when he could've taken his family to work with him out of the danger zone and his knowledge of groundskeeping is nil he doesn't have much to cry about. I haven't seen my firstborn since January mate but you get by because you have to in life, I probably won't see my sister and nieces and nephews who live just outside of Dunedin for longer, my wife's parents live in England on the Isle of White and her sister in Copenhagen so won't be seeing them for maybe years, 32 days and playing footy on highly manicured grounds and making the decision to leave wife and kid in Victoria please we all have issues just some of us don't get the choice to have it different.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
You do have a point. The constant comparison and carping interstate. Like little brother trying to match it with big brother.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Sounds like a rumour or urban myth rather than common knowledge.
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Pretentious much ?
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
The point about the grounds is perfectly valid Paul. Even my local ground used to get chopped up, especially when we'd had regular rain, if it got used too much. We used to train on it twice a week and play there every second weekend, and so did the soccer club, and we'd have to stay off the centre square area by the middle of winter.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Obviously you believe anything or anyone is above criticism, that's upto you to be such a walkover, anyways whether I should have opinions really isn't your business as you make very odd responses to valid criticism. The AFL stuffed up, the Victorian government stuffed up and Riewoldt was whinging about hubs well before Richmond had to go into one.
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Why not just stick with the WAFL if the AFL is that bad ????
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Common knowledge out west when hubs where first floated Riewoldt and cotchin had a sook so big it had the wce and freo boys in hysterics, well the AFL started the season based mainly in Australia's unsafe city with direction from the dynamic duo of Sutton and Andrews...well done Gil you flushed alot of cash away because you pandered.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Me either but a bit of old fashioned wet footy wouldn't be bad. Couldn't be worse than the rolling rumble that passes for footy thesr days and a good deal funnier. North particularly, with their experience playing GC in a cyclone a couple of years ago, surely cannot wait.
Whatevs
Guest
What Paul D said.
2dogs
Roar Rookie
4 games at Metricon Stadium in 2 days may be a problem though. Especially with rain forecasted. I’m not a groundsman though