Professional athletes in Victoria will be required to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by October 15 and their second by November 26 in order to train and play.
On Friday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed all authorised workers in Melbourne and regional Victoria would need to be vaccinated by those timelines in order to continue working on site.
Victoria’s extensive list of authorised workers includes “professional or high-performance sportsperson, workers that support the safe running of that person’s professional sport, and public broadcast personnel necessary for broadcasting the professional sport”.
“Yes, it does (apply to professional athletes),” Andrews said on Friday afternoon.
“I expect there’ll be a conversation, for instance, with the AFL, where the AFL will be informed, on behalf of all their clubs, that if you want to go back to pre-season training in a month’s time or so, you will need to be double-vaxxed, as an authorised worker.
“Even after we get to 80 per cent (double-dosed) and the authorisations are no longer there, the mandate, the rule, the Chief Health Officer direction will stay in place because cases will still be an issue then.”
The AFL confirmed the vaccination requirement would apply to players and football program staff of Victorian AFL/AFLW clubs, plus “a small number of other people in the AFL industry”.
(Photo by Gary Day/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“The AFL is awaiting formal Government directions on next steps and the AFL will work with clubs, the AFLPA and the broader AFL industry in the coming period so that we are ready for this important change, including with respect to the logistics of proof of vaccination,” the AFL said in a statement.
“More broadly the AFL is continuing to work with clubs, the AFLPA and the broader AFL industry to finalise and release its own vaccination policy for all (AFL) and AFLW clubs, players and staff nationally in the coming weeks.”
AFL teams begin their staggered returns in November, while AFLW players are currently in pre-season.
Multiple AFL and AFLW players have posted on social media about receiving their vaccinations, while the Western Bulldogs’ entire AFL squad have received their first vaccine dose.
Melbourne’s A-League Men and A-League Women teams are in pre-season training ahead of their November 19 and December 3 season start dates.
A PFA spokesperson said “following an extensive education program delivered with the APL, the clubs’ vaccination rates have to date been incredibly high”.
(Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the NBL and WNBL are scheduled to tip off in November.
It’s understood more than 90 per cent of players and staff at Super Rugby’s Melbourne Rebels, who start pre-season next week, are either double-vaxxed or awaiting their second dose.
The NRL’s Melbourne Storm have also heavily encouraged their players to get vaccinated ahead of returning for pre-season across November and December.
Every state cricketer in Victoria has had at least their first jab, while Cricket Australia (CA) says “virtually every single professional player” in the country will be fully vaccinated by the end of this month.
Some 98 per cent of Australia’s domestic cricketers have had their first dose, while 82 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Every nationally-contracted cricketer, male and female, is fully vaccinated.
Vaccination is required for any CA employee travelling internationally, making it effectively mandatory for support staff in addition to any player hoping to represent their country.
None of Australia’s major sporting leagues have implemented mandatory coronavirus vaccination rules yet.
But the NBL’s New Zealand Breakers and Illawarra Hawks released Tai Webster and Travis Trice respectively after those players were unwilling to receive the vaccine.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Huzzah! With you Brendo. SA Health (allegedly) are pretty shiittee scared of what's gunna happen in open season. Export them East I reckon.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
He's right of right. Although their spatial ability is pretty limited.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yep bang on we don’t want to run the risk of breakthrough cases however with perrotet in charge of New South Wales I predict he will open up wayyyyyyyy too quickly.
berrlins
Roar Pro
Haha Chuck I don't go for a good footy team I go for a great footy team :D :D. Yeah 70 % isn't enough, here in Italy we've reached 80 percent (still wearing masks) but we're completely open and almost certainly staying that way. Australia has to follow suit hit 80% at least and open up to the world.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Did you see all the Melb supporters in the anti- vacation protests in Melb yesterday soon as the cops came they vanished, hahaha!
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I disagree with Stokes, I vehemently disagree with Perrotet. Perrotet is also my local member I live down the road from him, but I think he’s too far to the right to be a good leader.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I'm doubled jabbed so I'm good to go for the Power next year, my pre-season starts today
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Unless Stokes gets the job but unlikely
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Hay hay hay that so called team roughed a few bomber feathers in final :silly:
Chanon
Roar Rookie
WA won’t open up till April 22’ Premiere stated
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Bang on mate you might not go for a good footy team but you’re right here, I know in New South Wales they’re talking about opening up at 70% which is too low, but with perrotet likely to take over I expect this will be the case
berrlins
Roar Pro
This argument isn't even worth having, for the country to open and go forward it needs at minimum 80 percent vaccination. Make it happen.
Rissole
Roar Rookie
I'd imagine there will be players who would not want it and might even speak out like their NBA counterparts and some tennis professionals. You'd imagine Essendon players would be extremely cautious about injections which are still in their trial phase. My wife and many of her colleagues in ICU were stood down today in WA as they'd prefer to wait.
Tim Keller
Roar Rookie
Get the jab they say. Didn't say much to me after 2 weeks in hospital with my heart doubled in size. Still not right from it but hey lets open these international borders already we are ready lol
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I haven’t heard of any players being reluctant to get the vaccination however too many players listen to people like Joe Rogan
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Yep hopefully they all get it. And a real interesting problem for the AFL looms. Living in WA, McGowen will do as he pleases so it is highly likely he will keep the borders closed to Victoria & NSW plus any other state that opens up to them. A long time to go before 2022 season but it may create a real problem. Need all states to come together as one.
RT
Roar Rookie
Oh yeah. Hopefully all players across all clubs will get the jab and it won't be an issue. Assuming Vic and NSW open up as planned, the question will be when will other states open? Will the AFL entertain WA in particular?
Johnno
Roar Rookie
You could be right however the Premierdoes say that this rule will stay in place after Vic hit 80 or 90% vaccination.
RT
Roar Rookie
This is for Oct/Nov. I am sure things will be different by the time the season starts.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
I presume this means that all 18 AFL clubs will have mandatory vaccination. Otherwise you would have discrimination between the Vic clubs & the rest. If not, would the other 8 clubs have to quarantine/isolate when they played in Vic?