Covid 19 and footy - season (suspended) now resumed

[AnnieH]

Jeez.
17 games... that's put a spin on things.
They'll have to re-do the draw.
Hope all our games are played at home.

[bloodspirit]

There was some talk of a mini-draft yesterday. Does anyone know what this was about? Is this akin to a pre-season or mid-season supplementary draft or is more targetting elite underagers?

[liz]

It won't be underagers.

The thinking is that if the AFL season suffers a long interruption at some stage, they will have to squeeze more games in to a shorter period when (if?) they are able to resume. Games may be played with shorter turnaround times (4 or 5 days), and therefore clubs may need to extend their squads to cope.

In practice, I'm not sure how this works. The state league tournaments have been suspended for now, meaning that the pool of players from whom to select won't have played (and possibly trained) for weeks / months. To expect such players to come in and play AFL footy with a squad they've never met before, and barely trained with, seems implausible. And will the competition have the funds to remunerate such players appropriately, especially those who need to relocate?

[barry]

Northern suburbs junior soccer comps (Sydney) have all been suspended as of today. Its down to grass roots now.

[Boddo]

Fixture shake-up: Clubs ready for home games in enemy territory

You all really want a season to go ahead now.

[liz]

I guess it's an opportunity to give the non-Vic teams a chance to get more experience playing on the MCG. And maybe the WA clubs will relish playing away from the still-hard surface of Optus.

[Boddo]

The extra games will not be played at the MCG. To cut costs they’ll most likely be played at marvel. I think the WA clubs would take a game in WA over playing In Melbourne every day of the week.

And I 100% don’t agree with the what you’ve said in regards to WA clubs and surface. If it came down to the surface they’d prefer to play at a number of suburban grounds in WA or the WACA over travelling every day of the week.

Under this scenario if it went ahead just play the GF on Thursday between Richmond and Collingwood because the top 8 would most likely be all Victorian clubs anyway.

[KTigers]

You have to think the AFL (and the players) is/are kidding themselves if they think the season (or even any variant of it) should go ahead
at this point. I get that they live in a bubble and all that, but this is taking selfishness to a whole new level, even for professional sportspeople
who've already turned it into an artform. Maybe Mr Trent Cotchin who gets paid the best part of $30,000 a game can spare a thought for
the hundreds of food and beverage employees (who usually make about $170 a game) who won't be working at the MCG (or wherever his
game is on) on Thursday night.

[Boddo]

You have to think the AFL (and the players) is/are kidding themselves if they think the season (or even any variant of it) should go ahead
at this point. I get that they live in a bubble and all that, but this is taking selfishness to a whole new level, even for professional sportspeople
who've already turned it into an artform. Maybe Mr Trent Cotchin who gets paid the best part of $30,000 a game can spare a thought for
the hundreds of food and beverage employees (who usually make about $170 a game) who won't be working at the MCG (or wherever his
game is on) on Thursday night.

This x1000

AFL coronavirus stance shows league should shut up on social issues | Opinion

Not for profit my @$$
Not for profit is your local suburban club with volunteers on the gate, in the canteen etc
This company has masqueraded as a not for profit organisation for way to long.

[Boddo]

Twitter

Possible GF at marvel.

[Boddo]

AFL delays call on R1 start for one more day

[AnnieH]

Just shut it down for 2020.
No one makes money (which is what it's all about) - everyone wins.

[neilfws]

This is an interesting article on club finances. A lost season would be pretty catastrophic for many of them.

An extended coronavirus shutdown may change sport as we know it in Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[barry]

Just shut it down for 2020.
No one makes money (which is what it's all about) - everyone wins.

We, the fans, lose pretty badly.

Hutchy on footy classified wants to extend the finals to 10 or 12 teams if it's a shortened season. This seems counter-intuitive. Wouldnt you reduce the finals to final 4 or 5 to get as many h&a games in instead??

[KTigers]

This is an interesting article on club finances. A lost season would be pretty catastrophic for many of them.

An extended coronavirus shutdown may change sport as we know it in Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

You betcha. It's no different for any business that has to shut down for any length of time. The well funded with cash reserves will
survive it better than others. As usual it'll be the lower rung employees that will be hit first, and probably hardest. It's hard to know
the precise situation but it appears the AFL does have some kind of "future fund" that they'll be able to draw on to an extent.
Historically the bulk of the clubs spend pretty much every dollar that comes in the door and have very little in the way of reserves.
In light of what is going on right now they might want to rethink that.