A swathe of COVID-19 cases have forced the Adelaide Crows to cancel a planned intra-club trial game, according to former player turned media presenter Bernie Vince.
Vince reported on Triple M Adelaide on Wednesday cases among players and staff have swelled to the point of no return for the match, which was to take place on Friday morning.
“There’s COVID cases inside the Adelaide Footy Club, including players, staff… the amount of players available just won’t stack up to a team,” Vince, who played 129 games with Adelaide during the late 2000s and early 2010s before finishing his career at Melbourne, said.
“The COVID-positive, plus the close contacts, plus the injuries… they just can’t field a team.”
South Australian mandates state that anyone who tests positive for the virus must isolate for ten days, with the quarantine period at seven days for close contacts.
That gives the Crows enough time to regain a full squad for their AAMI Community Series match against crosstown rivals Port Adelaide, slated for Saturday, March 5.
Nevertheless, it is a less than ideal start for the Crows heading into a crucial 2022 season for coach Matthew Nicks.
In better news, the Crows’ high-flying AFLW team is reportedly unaffected by the outbreak, having had no contact with the men’s team.
Vince suggested having the outbreak now could benefit the Crows in the long run, with COVID cases expected to be a constant hazard for teams to navigate throughout 2022.
“It might be a good thing,” he wondered.
“Whether you get it now, is that a better thing than getting it in the season?
“We’re going to see this go through AFL teams, and what it means throughout the season, we don’t know.”
The club was fined $50,000 for breaching the AFL’s COVID protocols back in 2020 during the in-season break caused by the virus’ initial outbreak in Australia.
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