GWS star Toby Greene is among eight players from the Giants and Sydney Swans to have been forced into isolation and ruled out of the AFL’s Sydney club derby at late notice after attending a COVID-19 exposure site.
The AFL confirmed 15 players and staff members from the two Sydney clubs attended the Wallabies’ match against France in Melbourne on Tuesday night and were in an area of AAMI Park that has since been reclassified as a Tier 2 exposure site by the Victorian Government.
While Sunday evening’s game at Metricon Stadium proceeded, those players and staff members were required to isolate until notified by the Queensland Health Department.
Greene and medical substitute Matt De Boer were both late outs due to isolating, replaced by Tanner Bruhn and Zach Sproule (medical substitute) respectively.
Sydney midfield gun Callum Mills and teammates Harry Cunningham and Colin O’Riordan (medical substitute) were also ruled out through isolation, with James Rowbottom, Dylan Stephens and Ben Ronke (medical substitute) called up.
Unselected Giants Kieren Briggs and Jake Stein and Sydney ruckman Callum Sinclair are also isolating and did not attend the game.
“The AFL confirms that multiple GWS Giants and Sydney Swans players and club staff members who attended the Wallabies vs France rugby match have now been re-classified as Tier 2 contacts,” the AFL said in a statement.
“A group of six Sydney Swans players and staff members along with a group of nine GWS Giants players and staff members entered via Gate 7 of the venue at the rugby and sat in Rows 25-42 of Zone 2, which has now been re-classified as a Tier 2 exposure site by the Victorian Department of Health.
“Each of these players and staff members, currently located in Queensland and under Queensland Department of Health requirements must isolate until notified by the Department.
“None of these players or staff members will participate in today’s match at Metricon Stadium.”
The AFL said it had notified the Queensland government and would follow its directions.
© AAP
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