Strange new enemy casts shadow over sport

MARK ROBINSON

FOOTBALL’S darkest hour is also its scariest. It is the twilight zone for the AFL.

It doesn’t know what’s happening tomorrow, let alone what’s happening over the next six months.

It is scary — for everyone. AFL boss Gillon McLachlan was right yesterday — this game has survived wars and depression, death and drought. But this is different.

The enemy is a stealthy, creeping menace and in Australia it is still unsure how menacing it will be.

But football is on the brink of collapse, this season at least.

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be lost to footy and its sister industries and the pain will be felt for many years.

So, we have a 17-round season. It’s far better than no season at all, although there will be some interesting discussions with the broadcasters Channel 7 and Fox Footy.

They pay $400-plus million to telecast 23 rounds and finals.

Take away six rounds and it’s about $80 million in limbo.

Maybe a night at Caterina’s restaurant in Queen St over a red and a medium-rare steak might sort it out, but likely not. Eighty million dollars is $80 million and the networks will need it as much as the AFL.

Make no mistake, money is up to its ears in this as much as the health and safety of the players and the community.

McLachlan was strong yesterday — possibly too late by some observers — but he, too, like most of us, is flying in the dark here.

Experts spruik from every corner, some of them disagreeing on what actions to take to avoid spreading the virus, which makes it terribly frustrating for us to make the necessary decisions.

Don’t shake hands, but do climb aboard buses, trams and planes. Keep the schools open. Keep the casino open. Keep bars and restaurants open. In Italy, none of that is happening. McLachlan couldn’t promise yesterday the season would start on Thursday night. How can he?

It’s why he can’t promise a 17-round season, either.

Anything can happen to disrupt the best-intentioned plans and anything is likely.

If one player has the virus, it’s a 14-day lockdown.

A 17-round season best-case scenario. is the