Collingwood, the AFL and the Virus.

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

[Bucks5]

^ VP does not offer us any advantage either. It would work against us as we play better on the larger grounds (MCG).

Princess Park is Carlton's training ground so it could work to their advantage.

[What'sinaname]

AFL, AFLPA and the player$ are all the $ame. It's all about the money.

Players as disgusting as the AFL Commi$$ion.

[K]

Dr. Peter Brukner, who looks like he loves publicity:

“There is probably not any danger in the actual game. It seems more like contact with surfaces is where you pick it up rather than droplets from another person, so if someone carries the virus into the game the chances of transmission in the game is low.

“Other people are working, kids are at schools, is there a greater risk of transmission from two teams in an empty stadium? Probably not.”

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-games-could-be-cancelled-for-eight-weeks-says-medico-20200317-p54b36.html

[It says he's now working for Melbourne FC.]

[K]

Players want AFL to keep open mind on 22-match season

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/players-want-afl-to-keep-open-mind-on-22-game-season-20200317-p54b27.html

'Marsh said the AFLPA hadn't yet addressed the mooted 20 per cent pay cut players might take but said that "everyone is hurting and clearly we're a part of that," accepting that the industry would need to cut costs.

The AFL has indicated that it is willing to use the entire calendar year to complete the season, leading Marsh to advocate for the league to keep an open mind about a full season despite the AFL's announcement of a shortened campaign.'

[Johnno75]

In a 17 game season we would drop the folllowing games.

Richmond, Essendon, WCE (prob OS match), Bris (MCG match), Melbourne.

[K]

AFL players baulk at 20 per cent pay cuts

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-players-baulk-at-20-per-cent-pay-cuts-20200317-p54b4c.html

'... the AFL players have pushed back against a league request for a 20 per cent pay cut — an amount that Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has called the "minimum" that the players should accept.
...

"Well there's no question about it," Kennett said ... "If we're not playing games or we're playing limited games, the players are part of the code and they like the staff and the coaches, and CEOs are all going to have to be part of this realignment for the future.

"The question is whether 20 per cent is enough. For instance, if we play games, it may be. If we don't play games, around the rest the world clubs have stood down players who are not earning any money at all ... if we don't play games, 50 per cent I think would be closer to the [mark]."
...

"It's all about cash flow. You need revenue and our expenses have been about $4.5 million a month, we can't sustain that if we're not getting income," he said.'

[Mr Miyagi]

I might not have work soon because of the coronavirus, therefore no wage at all. Sorry boys, but bitching about a 20% payout for a shortened season is a bit too much. Everyone at AFL should be taking a cut though, not just players. I know the boys work hard for the money, but so do we all.

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

What % cut have Gil and his mates agreed to take? Surely they’ll be leading by example

[Mr Miyagi]

Gil and his mates are politicians/businessmen who look after their own self-interests. It's absolutely disgraceful that we still don't have a decision -- when almost EVERY other sport in the world has suspended their seasons -- because people with more money than most of us will see in our lifetimes don't want to take a pay cut.

Here's a news flash for the AFL and all the spoilt prima donna players and their parasyte managers -- I, and many people I know, might not even have a job and income soon and we're struggling. But hey, go ahead and bitch about having to take a 20% pay cut and play a shortened season.

Assholes. I've had no respect for the AFL for years now, and this is the final nail.

By the way. I'm mates with a couple of girls from the AFLW and they're STILL chasing more money right now. Unbelievable.

[glasseyevfx]

I think that the season will begin this week and will save the cancellations as the numbers increase.
Look people, this virus is here. It's not about stopping it, its about controlling and delaying it so it doesn't exceed our hospitals capacity and protecting/isolating the most vulnerable.

Regarding the AFL:

a) ban the crowds - there is no need to be there live when we have such a good broadcast capacity.

b) AFL football players are the best placed people I can think of to have a handle on this virus. They have medicos on hand. They are fit people and if they are any sort of a competent club, have experience in dealing with flu outbreaks and quarantine procedures.
Take a breath and realize its less likely for a player to play if he's unwell from coronavirus.

[Pies4shaw]

This thread has been tidied, so that:

- specific discussion about other clubs (at the moment, mostly about Fremantle) has been moved to Nick's Other AFL forum - here: https://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=87100;

- general discussion about statistics and the pandemic at large (but not very much about Collingwood) has been consolidated into the already large thread in VPT - here: https://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=86949;

- discussion about the impact of COVID-19 on Collingwood specifically or the AFL competition generally remains in this thread.

Please try to observe the distinctions.

- Pies4Shaw for BBMods

[swoop42]

Footballers would be one of the lowest risk groups in the entire country in terms of serious illness arising from coronavirus given their age and fitness levels.

The risk level to the community from a game of football being played in an empty stadium that will house no more players, coaches, officials and broadcast personnel than one packed tram in the CBD of Melbourne tomorrow is of no consequence to the spread of the virus.

People need to remember that football clubs have already had isolation policies in place long before corona came along as they are well aware how a bout of gastro or flu could run rampant through it. These measures would have simply been strengthened.

I'm still trying to get my head around why the season should be suspended if one player contracts corona as some suspect will occur.

Seems like an overreaction at this stage when the risk to every player in the competition and their loved ones is no more or less playing football than if they were going to the local supermarket.

If a player tests positive inform the AFL who can contact the club you last played against and the officials involved, isolate the player from the club and implement strategies in place to help reduce the risk for any family members, suspend training perhaps while the players and staff are tested but don't overreach until or if the time comes that the integrity of the game is impacted due to a spike in players unavailable.

While this might be a more serious health situation for the wider community in terms of football players and a clubs ability to field a team the risk of corona wiping out 3 or 4 selection options may not be any greater than what we have always faced with other viral illnesses during each season.

At the end of the day if the AFL wasn't going to start the competition now when the known cases of coronavirus will be at levels lower than whats to come then they might as well not bothered at all.

[K]

[K]

McGuire was tested for coronavirus, Adams says one other Pie tested

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/mcguire-was-tested-for-coronavirus-adams-says-one-other-pie-tested-20200318-p54b80.html

"Adams' comments come after Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley told Footy Classified on Monday night that he expected more players to soon undergo test for coronavirus.
...

[McGuire] said he has bronchitis. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to get it down the track like anybody else but at this point in time I'm right and ready to go."

McGuire described the test as uncomfortable at times, though brief, a sentiment echoed by Pendlebury in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

"They just do a nose swab, which is a fair way up the [nose with] like an earbud-type thing, but a long one," Pendlebury said on an Instagram live session."


Are they wasting tests on AFL players?? If they were regular people they would not be tested with just cold symptoms.


Australia's COVID-19 fight hampered by rationing test kits, immunologist warns

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-18/coronavirus-test-kit-rationing-virologist-warns/12062146

"Some doctors are warning a promised influx of almost 100,000 COVID-19 test kits in the coming week, won't be enough as stocks are already being rationed and the infection rate is yet to peak."