Footy’s return ‘has to be safe’
PREMIER Daniel Andrews has declared he won’t be rushed into bringing football back despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing a three-step plan to ease lockdown restrictions.
The Victorian Premier said he wants to see leagues such as the AFL and NRL back on the agenda as soon as possible, but “it’s got to be safe”.
He affirmed that the relationship between the Government and AFL is strong and that they are working closely to ensure the game returns as soon as is safe to do so.
AFL players could be training outdoors in groups of 10 by next week, but only if state premiers are aligned, with Andrews set to announce whether he will lessen restrictions on Monday when Victoria’s state of emergency is reviewed.
Andrews said that “we want footy back” but it “has got to be safe”, declaring he won’t be forced into easing measures, with looming announcements to be “cautious and careful”.
“The chief health officer has been working very, very closely with the AFL, as has the Victorian Government,” Andrews said.
“And I won’t pre-empt the announcements that will be made at the appropriate time.
WE WANT TO SEE THESE SPORTS BACK, BECAUSE THEY MEAN SO MUCH ... TO SO MANY VICTORIANS
DANIEL ANDREWS
“But the first thing is obviously training, and then once you’ve got a framework for that, that allows you to make further decisions.
“But they’re not announcements for me to make, they’re announcements for the AFL to make.”
He said there was “complete co-operation” and “a really strong partnership” between the Government and the AFL.
“And the same for rugby league,” he said.
“We want to see these sports back, because they mean so much. They mean so, so much to so many Victorians, and just our way of life, the rhythm of the week, all of these things are determined by whether those parts of our society are functioning as normal.
“We want footy back, but it’s got to be safe. And I’m confident that it can be.”
The national cabinet yesterday recommended a three-step return to a “COVID safe economy and society” by July.