Pressure builds on Vic teams

PLAYERS have been shifted out of Melbourne’s COVID-19 “hot spots” as the league eyes a drastic plan to evacuate all 10 Victorian clubs out of the state.

The AFL exit strategy involves the creation of multiple interstate hubs before the walls close in on footy’s heartland.

Players at Victorian clubs have been told they could be on the road en masse by the middle of next week. League chiefs will unveil a new Round 6 fixture in the coming days, potentially without a single match in Melbourne.

All players living in the city’s COVID-stricken suburbs were ordered to relocate to another suburb before midnight last night. They were given just hours to pack their bags and find other accommodation. It came as NSW authorities said that any Victorian crossing the border from a virus hot spot faced an $11,000 fine and six months’ jail.

Perth, Sydney and Gold

MICHAEL WARNER and SAM LANDSBERGER

Coast will be used as major hubs for the staging of games in the coming weeks.

The league has the option of keeping some clubs in Victoria for the use of the MCG, Docklands Stadium and Kardinia Park, but is concerned it could be caught out by the emergence of even harsher interstate border restrictions.

Geelong and Collingwood were expected to travel to Perth after their scheduled Round 6 games for a threeweek stint. They could now be asked to depart sooner and will almost certainly spend longer on the road.

Western Bulldogs are also a chance to play a run of games in Perth. St Kilda and North Melbourne appear likely to relocate to NSW, even though they have already played each other and the Roos have played both Sydney teams.

Clubs can only play teams once this season and so the AFL must group them in a way to keep the season flowing as options become more limited by the week.