Senor M
SFAEW World Heavyweight Champion
Yea, state governments didn't know what was going to happen back then and were in full panic mode and shut down everything. Fast forward a full year and things are very differently, we are going to have an Australia Open with player entourages coming from all over the world to play. If we can manage that, I'm sure State Governments can manage having an AFL team isolating in a hotel for 12 hours (having a private bus taking them to and from the game) then flying home without any contact with the public.
It's great for the economy and will bring some joy to the locals, things Governments need. It can fairly easily be done safely as well, 100% it will happen. The only danger will be if AFL players are caught leaving the hotels and breaching restrictions, which may cause state governments to cancel it.
Have you SEEN what State governments have done in the past few months?
- Short, sharp lockdowns with minimal notice (SA, QLD)
- Border closures (parts of the country to NSW, Vic, Bris)
The Australian Open is a different circumstance because players are doing a 14 Day quarantine before they commence. The AFL can't afford to do that every time a team plays in a different state.