St Kilda and Carlton are still in the dark about where and when they will relocate to continue the AFL season amid Victoria’s COVID-19 crisis.
As the AFL prepares to shift all local teams interstate, the Saints and Blues departed Marvel Stadium on Thursday night without knowing how their next few days will play out.
The AFL could move ten clubs as early as next week with NSW and Western Australia flagged as potential locations along with the current Gold Coast hub.
Players from seven clubs who live in Melbourne’s COVID-19 hot spots have temporarily moved out their homes to avoid being banned from entering NSW.
But St Kilda coach Brett Ratten says his Saints are ready to head back to Docklands next week for a planned match against Geelong.
“We’ve been preparing for a hub for a while and we’re actually looking forward to it,” he said after the Saints’ 18-point win.
“Some of our training sessions have been disconnected because we’ve got to break into six or three groups where we might (now) have a bit more interaction.
“Our role tonight was to worry about the footy and this game was important for us.
“We’re not sure how long we’ll go for but it probably will be a bit of a period.”
Carlton coach David Teague believes it’s an exciting opportunity to move outside of Victoria.
“It’s a great opportunity to continue to build relationships, while being respectful for the families and partners, and whether they come, I’m not sure,” he said.
“We don’t know where we’re even going yet, but for our group I’m a bit excited.”
The Blues are due to host Sydney at the MCG in Round 6, but that match appears unlikely to be played in Melbourne due to the NSW government urging its residents not to travel to Victoria.
© AAP
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