The 2020 AFL season has only just started back up again, but the future of this year’s season is now up in the air as coronavirus cases soar in its heartland of Melbourne.

As Victoria fights to deal with a second wave, confirming 75 new cases overnight, the Queensland government moved swiftly to put in place new measures for sporting teams.

Now, any Queensland team who plays against a Melbourne-based team in Queensland will be required to quarantine after the match for two weeks. They will also have to quarantine if they play a game in Melbourne and fly back home.

But that’s not all. Any Queensland sports team playing a team that has simply been in Melbourne in the past 14 days will need to quarantine when they return to the sunshine state for that 14 day period.

The measures have already forced three AFL games to be rescheduled ahead of the upcoming round this weekend. Richmond now won’t travel to the Gold Coast to play West Coast (themselves in a quarantine hub) on Thursday, instead staying in Melbourne to play the Demons. The Sydney Swans will instead travel to Queensland to play West Coast.

It could mean that the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns face a long stint away from home.

The alternative, if the spike in coronavirus cases doesn’t start falling, would be to move all ten Victorian AFL teams interstate. It would certainly be a bold move, but as Nine reports, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan wouldn’t rule it out.

“We’ll look at the implications of fixtures over the coming weeks and make further changes as required.”

The AFL has already made some changes to the way it broadcasts games without crowds, with broadcaster Channel Seven adding fake crowd noises to mixed reviews.

The NRL will face its own challenges as a result of the changes, but with only one Victorian team it will be an easier transition. Melbourne Storm look set for a long stint on the road, having been told to remain in Queensland for at least 28 days until the latest spike in COVID-19 cases has eased.

“I think given that the numbers are increasing in Victoria in terms of what’s happening with the virus, it’s not looking like any time soon,” said NRL acting CEO Andrew Abdo.

They’ll find themselves in a similar situation to the New Zealand Warriors, who’ve made base for the foreseeable future on the NSW Central Coast, being unable to fly back to New Zealand.

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