Prediction Impact of hub life and 'COVID normal' on teams in 2021

[jesterx]

Undoubtedly there is bound to be some fallout (both positive and negative) after the season that has just been where most of the clubs were holed up in a quarantined hub with their families, team mates and footy staff. What sort of impacts do you think this would have on team dynamics, especially for the Vic clubs that didnt get to go back to their own homes (not that it would have mattered much since they'd just fly from lockdown to lockdown).

- Will we see older players rethinking whats important to them and hanging up the boots earlier?
- Will we see players not hitting preseasons with as much focus as previous years resulting in a lot more injuries during the year when we're back to full quarters?
- Will relationships between people in the footy club break down as a result of having to see them all day every day for months on end?
- Will civil relationships of footy players and footy staff themselves break down as a result of having to spend every waking minute with them with nowhere else to go?
- Will hub life return in 2021 when the Victorian winter rolls around again and we still don't have a vaccine and if COVID returns
- Will we see more off field turmoil as a result of a lot of the footy staff being let go due to salary cap constraints?

What are your predictions for the 2021 season thanks to the cluster* of a year that was 2020?

 

[RUNVS]

Could very very easily see Covid still being a serious issue in 2021. I just hope a vaccine comes out in the next few months and by March it is widely distributed.

That is just a hope though. I have no real idea what is actually going to happen.

 

[Bungeye]

Apparently, Grundy was losing his mind.

 

[00Stinger]

Could very very easily see Covid still being a serious issue in 2021. I just hope a vaccine comes out in the next few months and by March it is widely distributed.

That is just a hope though. I have no real idea what is actually going to happen.

Now Victoria is under control as long as the country keeps the borders under a tight control Australia should be back to normal

 

[RUNVS]

Now Victoria is under control as long as the country keeps the borders under a tight control Australia should be back to normal

Unfortunately flare-ups can happen, especially heading into winter like it would be in March.

 

[Ok Boomer]

I'd hope that by March if we aren't beginning a vaccine rollout we will at least have higher quality rapid testing which will assist controlling any virus spread.

 

[ep2018]

I think only us and freo will be hubbing next season.

 

[The City Boyz]

I'd hope that by March if we aren't beginning a vaccine rollout we will at least have higher quality rapid testing which will assist controlling any virus spread.

the Oxford vaccine (the one we've bought doses of) is beginning a rollout in a few weeks for England's medical professionals, I'd assume our standards would be similar to theirs so not unreasonable to think we'll have a sizeable portion/all of the venerable getting vaccinated by then

 

[Papa G]

Hubs seem like a good thing. The AFL, NRL and Super Netball premiership winners all hubbed.

 

[HTT]

I thought WA’s border had a simple enough solution, WA teams seasons would look similar to this year, half the season in a hub, half the season hosting other teams in a hub, which is s**t anyway, but I think it’s going to be a bit more complicated than that. If crowds are allowed everywhere.

Easy enough to play Hawthorn v Carlton at Perth stadium when there’d be no crowds in Melbourne anyway. But it’s more difficult to justify if it could be played in Melbourne in front of a home crowd - especially with a Victorian population that has been deprived of that already. I know I’d be fuming if Richmond effectively missed a home game because of it. So does that mean an extra bye is introduced to accomodate the quarantine time? In this situation WA teams would already be spending half a season in a hub while everyone else is a fairly normal, then the half they get at home would be spent in quarantine effectively the entire time? That’s a hard sell. The WA government and the AFL already appear to have a strained relationship.

 

[Senor M]

Hubs seem like a good thing. The AFL, NRL and Super Netball premiership winners all hubbed.

Can you explain how the NRL "hub" system worked?

 

[juss]

If Victoria keeps their s**t under control, and other states continue to do so as well, then border control is really all they need to worry about. It is possible to get this virus to negligible numbers, we've seen it with multiple states.

If that continues, and things like contact tracing, targeted quarantine and targeted lockdowns, mask wearing, hygiene, social distancing and common sense continue for a while, theres no reason we can't have a fairly normal 2021 season.

 

[masai]

I thought WA’s border had a simple enough solution, WA teams seasons would look similar to this year, half the season in a hub, half the season hosting other teams in a hub, which is sh*t anyway, but I think it’s going to be a bit more complicated than that. If crowds are allowed everywhere.

Easy enough to play Hawthorn v Carlton at Perth stadium when there’d be no crowds in Melbourne anyway. But it’s more difficult to justify if it could be played in Melbourne in front of a home crowd - especially with a Victorian population that has been deprived of that already. I know I’d be fuming if Richmond effectively missed a home game because of it. So does that mean an extra bye is introduced to accomodate the quarantine time? In this situation WA teams would already be spending half a season in a hub while everyone else is a fairly normal, then the half they get at home would be spent in quarantine effectively the entire time? That’s a hard sell. The WA government and the AFL already appear to have a strained relationship.

I think you’ll find that WA will be opening the door, hopefully by mid December. It all depends on the positive progress in combatting the virus in Vic & NSW, continuing.

WA games will be able to have full capacity in 2021.

 

[HTT]

I think you’ll find that WA will be opening the door, hopefully by mid December. It all depends on the positive progress in combatting the virus in Vic & NSW, continuing.

WA games will be able to have full capacity in 2021.

Hope so
Also hope that means we’re in a really strong position in vic.