2020 Fixture

[one-eyed]

Tom Browne on Ch 7 news said two clubs have told him they are preparing for a May 18 return to training and a June 8 restart for the season.

[pmac21]

Apparently tiger players very vocal about the hub idea and not being able to bring family.
On AFL site just now

[Tiger Tragic]

Apparently tiger players very vocal about the hub idea and not being able to bring family.
On AFL site just now

Players should be given the opportunity to stand down. On no pay obviously. Once lists of nominated players is determine, have a mini supplementary list draft to top all teams up to required number. Gives some state league players a chance to stake a claim for next year.

[one-eyed]

Apparently tiger players very vocal about the hub idea and not being able to bring family.
On AFL site just now

Here's the article link:

Players consider standing down as hub tensions escalate

By Damian Barrett
afl.com.au
29 April 2020

SENIOR AFL players have on Tuesday night threatened to stand themselves down from the remainder of the AFL season if their families can't attend the quarantined hubs which will be established in June.

An online hook-up of more than 500 players on Tuesday afternoon, called to thrash out plans to play the remaining 144 matches of the 2020 season, became extremely tense when highly agitated players reacted adversely to a worst-case scenario which would have some players isolated in hubs for 20 of 21 weeks.

Richmond players were extremely vocal when told partners and children might not be able to attend the hubs.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/392374/players-consider-standing-down-as-hub-tensions-escalate

[Hard Roar Tiger]

That’s probably fair, particularly if they are going to be in these hubs for weeks on end.

[pmac21]

For me there is 44 on the list. If you choose not to play in the hub because you have a family then stand yourself down for the year on no pay.  Each list would have 30 plus players ready to go to a hub.  Every AFL player will have had 3 months straight with their families by the time they restart so basically 6 months at home.   

[Andyy]

Don't blame them - or anybody with kids for that matter. 20 weeks is a long time for any child. If you have a baby it's basically a lifetime and they might forget you entirely. Not worth all the money in the world.

Just wait it out a bit longer so they can avoid the hub IMO.

[georgies31]

The afl opened a can of worms with this hubs crap they thought every player was going to bend over for the good of the game.The players are right standing there ground.

[one-eyed]

Players fuming as AFL outlines ‘doomsday scenario’

Glenn Valencich
7News
Wednesday, 29 April 2020

AFL sources told 7NEWS reporter Tom Browne the 20-week idea is a ‘doomsday scenario’ that also features a week off after two months, while clubs believe it is highly unlikely of coming to fruition.

But players have made it known they do not want to go ahead if they are separated from wives, girlfriends, partners and children.

However, AFL Players’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh stressed the entire plan is only a starting point in negotiations.

“The players want to do everything that they reasonably can to play but the world has shifted significantly here,” he told SEN on Wednesday morning.

“We’re all of the understanding right now that the hubs are the only way we’re realistically going to get the season started, given the border closures in South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

“But there’s a bit to work through in terms of the detail around all of it and we’ve just got to keep working through it. There’s a lot at stake here but there’s also a lot of issues that the players fairly have.”

Marsh said players’ individual circumstances relating to families and loved ones were a priority for the AFLPA.

“The AFL’s position is that they have an issue with bringing families in, but from our perspective it’s a significant issue for the players with families,” Marsh said.

“The AFL is well aware that that’s an issue for us and we’ll just need to keep working through it.”

https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/players-fuming-as-afl-outlines-doomsday-scenario-of-20-week-quarantine-hubs-c-1004863

[one-eyed]

Ch 7 news just said that health experts have told them hubs aren't the way to go anyway. Instead the AFL should stick to a normal home & away season. All that is needed (aside from no crowds obviously) is for travelling teams to stay in their hotel with their floor completely closed off to outside visitors and when flying to spread themselves across a plane's seating checkerboard style to observe social distancing.

[WilliamPowell]

Ch 7 news just said that health experts have told them hubs aren't the way to go anyway. Instead the AFL should stick to a normal home & away season. All that is needed (aside from no crowds obviously) is for travelling teams to stay in their hotel with their floor completely closed off to outside visitors and when flying to spread themselves across a plane's seating checkerboard style to observe social distancing.

Going to be hard to fly about with Virgin, the AFL's $10mil a year sponsor in Adminstration

Their planes around the country impounded by numerous airports for not paying fees.

Not sure the above option is an option at all 

[Diocletian]

Do we still have Bondy's Blimp?

[one-eyed]

Eddie on Footy Classified just said he sees a FIFO situation happening.

Used Richmond as an example. Richmond players will live at home and train together at Punt Rd. When travelling interstate, a quarantined bus will pick up the players to take them to the airport. They will then board a quarantined plane to fly them to Perth where they will be takened by another quarantined bus to stay in a quarantined hotel. They will play West Coast at Optus Stadium and then remain in Perth for 5 days before playing Freo. Then they fly home (in a quarantined plane).

[one-eyed]

Eddie on Footy Classified just said he sees a FIFO situation happening.

Used Richmond as an example. Richmond players will live at home and train together at Punt Rd. When travelling interstate, a quarantined bus will pick up the players to take them to the airport. They will then board a quarantined plane to fly them to Perth where they will be takened by another quarantined bus to stay in a quarantined hotel. They will play West Coast at Optus Stadium and then remain in Perth for 5 days before playing Freo. Then they fly home (in a quarantined plane).

Here's an article quoting Eddie.

McGuire rubbishes controversial hubs proposal

By Chris De Silva
Nine/wwos
30 April 2020

A fuming Eddie McGuire has rubbished the notion that players will be forced into 20 weeks away from their families, saying that it is the worst-case scenario.

The AFL's playing fraternity was left stunned after AFL Players' Association boss Paul Marsh delivered the news of the 20-week hubs over a Zoom conference call on Tuesday evening.

Despite players being concerned over the thought of being isolated away from their families for months on end, McGuire revealed that the AFL is likely to employ a "fly-in, fly-out" method to get the season back up and running.

"I'm a little bit disappointed and so are a lot of people in the AFL at the moment," he told Footy Classified.
McGuire said that there was more chance of him joining the Carlton cheer squad than 20-week hubs (Nine)

"That was the worst-case scenario painted to the players last night. There's 40 million reasons why no one wants that to ever happen. It'll cost 40 million dollars on the best day to have the hubs, $2000 a week for 1000 people over 20 weeks.

"The AFL is desperately trying to get the best result they can for everybody and the best result is fly in, fly out.

"It means that you will be able to stay in your own bed, you will go to your own club. In Richmond's case, you would go to Punt Road and then on match day you'll get onto a quarantined bus and then get onto a quarantined plane and you might fly to Perth.

"You'll get off and go to a hotel that's quarantined and you'll play West Coast and you might stay for five days and play Fremantle and then you'll fly home."

McGuire suggested that Marsh did a poor job of putting the proposal to the players on the teleconference, scaring them and their families in the process.

"It was really badly put and as a result there's been massive stress in families over this and it's (barely on the table)," he said.

"It will adjust until we get to the best possible solution, but to say that this is something that's really on the table, that is so extreme, that is Armageddon.

"You only have to look at what's happening in society, they're screaming today that schools should be re-opened.

"The AFL wants to show social leadership, they don't want to be out like the NRL spruiking different ideas, we're going to be model citizens."

https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/eddie-mcguire-slams-scaremongering-hysteria-over-20-week-quarantine-hubs/6ce823b6-ba00-4a7f-bc8c-647bcbdd2332

[one-eyed]

An AFL spokesman said on Wednesday night: ''We have just begun discussions with the AFLPA and their feedback has been valuable.

''No decisions have been made and there are still a wide range of options available to the AFL, the players and the clubs in order to begin and complete the 2020 season.

''We will continue to prioritise both the physical and mental health and welfare of all participants in the AFL industry and their families and follow the advice from the Commonwealth and state and territory governments and their chief health officers.''

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/family-a-sticking-point-as-players-not-happy-with-afl-hubs-20200429-p54oen.html