Bombers adapt prep for fly-in, fly-out GWS clash

ESSENDON’S players will be in a travel bubble during their 14-hour hit-run mission to Sydney as they take strict social-distancing measures after the latest COVID scare.

The Bombers have spent 48 hours planning the clash against GWS, which will start with an 8am chartered flight to Sydney on Saturday, and football boss Josh Mahoney said the Dons were confident steps were in place for players to hit the 2.10pm clash full of running.

Melbourne skipper Max Gawn admitted the club’s sluggish start against North Melbourne had not been helped by an early-morning flight, saying: “I don’t think fly-in, fly-out works for the 1pm game.”

Mahoney said the extra time after the game was pushed back from 1.45pm would allow players several hours at a hotel in the Olympic precinct before walking across to Giants Stadium.

But the players must follow

COVID protocols after a Sydney man in his 50s tested positive this week.

“It’s a bit different to our normal preparation but out of what happened last year, players are used to being flexible and it took a couple of extra days to plan what it looked like,” Mahoney said.

“We will fly out at 8am and go to the hotel for a couple of hours. Our main focus was getting enough time to get from the airport to the hotel for some prep time for the players.”