ROOS HOP ON VACCINE TRAIN

NORTH Melbourne’s entire football department has a remarkable 92 per cent uptake in first-dose vaccinations as it becomes clear AFL players will only be able to ply their trade after being vaccinated next year.

The AFL is still discussing vaccination policies with players but is likely to stop short of enforcing mandatory jabs given no other major professional in the world has taken that stance.

But the reality for reluctant players that both airline carriers Qantas is and Virgin are expected to require proof of vaccination for anyone flying interstate next year.

Community requirements regarding vaccination will eventually force players to be double jabbed without the need for strict AFL rules.

Only weeks after the end of the home-and-away season, the Roos are already on track to have almost every member of the football department fully vaccinated by early October.

More than nine in 10 have had their first jabs including AFL coach David Noble and AFLW coach Darren Crocker.

North Melbourne football boss Ben Amarfio said a strong education program had seen the players and football staff flock to be vaccinated.

“Only a handful of players and staff with health issues are yet to have their first dose as the club continues its education program for those not yet vaccinated,” he said.

“If you look at our football areas we have nearly 140 staff with all our mens and women’s players and football staff including permanent and casuals and of that cohort, we are at 92 per cent who have had their first dose and that 92 per cent will be (fully vaccinated) within five weeks. The other 8 per cent includes some people with health concerns and some people who are pregnant, so for those people we will continue our support and education.

“We didn’t do it to take a leadership stance, we did it because we know it’s the right thing to keep ourselves safe and healthy in the community.

“It’s the only way out of our lockdowns to get vaccinated.”

The doses were a mix of Pfizer and AstraZeneca, with the Roos and their players having sourced them after being determined not to queue earlier in the season.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Friday vaccine passports to attend AFL games next year were a “plausible possibility” but stopped short of a vaccination mandate for all AFL players in 2022.

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said on Thursday a mandate would have to be considered.

The AFL’s working group on vaccinations has now begun an information rollout to AFL players and encouraged them strongly to get vaccinated when supply is available. jump the