It was in The West Australian on Wednesday last week, complete with photos: https://thewest.com.au/sport/west-c...es-as-stars-return-to-training-ng-b881540417zWe can add the eagles to the crows.
Nothing to see here: Eagle's group training admission was pre-recorded
Nothing to see here: Eagle's group training admission was pre-recordedwww.foxsports.com.au
Coronavirus crisis: West Coast Eagles say players are complying with strict AFL rules as stars return to training
Peter Law and Steve ButlerThe West Australian
Wednesday, 6 May 2020 8:09PM
Jeremy McGovern, Anthony Treacy, Josh Kennedy and Oscar Allen at McGillivray Oval this morning.
West Coast are back on track for the AFL season reboot — and the club insists their stars are complying with the league’s strict training rules.
The West Australian this morning spotted more than half a dozen Eagles training at McGillivray Oval in Mt Claremont.
Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey, veteran forward Josh Kennedy and defenders Jeremy McGovern and Brad Sheppard all worked up a sweat.
Youngsters Anthony Treacy, Hamish Brayshaw and Oscar Allen also braved the stormy weather.
Hamish Brayshaw and Luke Shuey at McGillivray Oval this morning.
The AFL has banned the Eagles and Dockers from training in groups of 10 due to “competitive equalisation measures”, despite the State Government declaring it safe.
A West Coast spokesman said the players were training in pairs, which is what they were permitted to do under the AFL’s rules.
“They are training to individual programs set out by the club’s strength and conditioning staff but training is not organised by the club,” he said.
An AFL spokeswoman confirmed that by training in pairs, the players had complied with league protocols.
Jeremy McGovern at McGillivray Oval this morning.
It comes as a fly-in, fly-out format planned for the AFL to restart to the season was slammed by WA’s Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson as the most dangerous model.
He said the proposed “hub” format had been assessed, at both a State and national level, to be the safest for recommencing footy.
“The proposed fly-in, fly-out home isolation model, which will require WA teams to relocate, was assessed as the least safe model,” Dr Robertson.
“There is no confidence the AFL can maintain infection control and prevent infection spread among players and staff under the current proposed model.
“There is a risk this model could contribute to the further spread of the virus.”
Brad Sheppard and Oscar Allen at McGillivray Oval this morning.
Mark McGowan today reiterated his stance that WA’s hard border would not be compromised by the AFL’s preference for a traditional home-and-away format.
Under a “short-stay-play” model now favoured by the AFL, players and staff would live at home and train at their club headquarters.
Travelling teams would fly by charter aircraft in and out of the State where the match is being played on the same day.
As reported by The West, the hard border means it would be impossible to play matches in Perth and the Eagles and Dockers would have to relocate to Victoria for much of the 2020 season.
“If we let in infected people from NSW and Victoria, all that will do is damage the health of our citizens,” the Premier said.
“At this point in time there doesn’t seem to be a way forward that allows players to fly to Victoria or Sydney and back again. We’re not going to compromise on our hard borders just to meet the needs of football.”
Anthony Treacy and Josh Kennedy at McGillivray Oval this morning.
Opposition Leader Liza Harvey called for the border closure to be relaxed to allow AFL clubs to fly in and out of Perth.
“I think it would be really easy to put a football team and their support crew on a plane by themselves, fly them over, quarantine them in a hotel and have them moving between a hotel and a training facility,” she said.
“It sounds easy to me, I don’t understand why they are not looking at these options and giving people some optimism about the future of sport in WA.”
Fremantle’s interstate contingent today touched down at a near-empty Perth Airport.
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