Kangaroos deny they breached Queensland hub rules

NORTH Melbourne is fiercely pushing back against claims it was one of three clubs that had player wives and partners breach the league’s COVID-19 rules in a Queensland hub.

But Richmond is expected to accept a league sanction for the partner of one of its stars leaving a quarantine area for a facial at a day spa and posting pictures on Instagram.

Carlton is the third club under investigation for a player’s partner taking her children to her grandparents, who took them to a theme park, believed to be Dreamworld.

The league’s findings are expected to be handed down today. The AFL is not expected to name any of the women involved given it is the clubs and players who sign up to the rules and regulations.

The AFL believes it is the responsibility of each club to regulate the behaviour of those players, given wives and girlfriends are not governed by AFL rules.

North Melbourne has defended its actions on the grounds the club has AFL correspondence that shows it had permission for it to bus the wives and partners of some players from Twin Waters to the Gabba.

The players were put up in a room that the club hired with AFL guidance, then mid-game the AFL told the club the members of its party had to be removed from the facility.

The Roos did not have enough staff to orchestrate that, so they stayed until the final siren.

North Melbourne would not have allowed the partners to the game unless it had checked that it was allowed.

ANY dwindling hope of a miracle COVID-19 comeback that allows the MCG to host the Grand Final is over.

This reality set in as news of Thursday’s 700-plus positive tests filtered through the football community.

At some stage in coming weeks, AFL chief Gillon McLachlan or Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula will announce that the Grand Final is moving interstate.

As the AFL crams its teams into Queensland, its greatest achievement will now be finishing this 2020 season.

Not monetising the Grand Final to secure $20m from the West Australian or Queensland state government.

Not coasting to a lateOctober grandstand finish that creates a sporting festival that neatly dovetails into the Victorian spring carnival.

Simply getting it done in a manner that awards one team a premiership and satisfies the contractual obligations to its broadcast partners.

One AFL club chief executive said on Friday it would be unlikely any state government could shell out $10m for a sports event and then sell the concept to its public.

And given the economic hit, who would have the money to do so anyway?

Another said the AFL had a moral obligation to give the Grand Final to Queensland, given the many concessions that state had already made.

The AFL recoups $12m or more from ticket sales from the MCG Grand Final so will still hope to recoup some money from a Gabba Grand Final. But the prospect of a Gabba full house for a Grand Final dwindles by the day.