Opinion Will there be any home games this season

[dont bowl there]

Um, no. Zero chance it will remain closed by winter.

So we can agree that this weekend isn't a test for the AFL and it's simply McGowan doing what he has always done.

 

[Taylor]

So we can agree that this weekend isn't a test for the AFL and it's simply McGowan doing what he has always done.

Testing this weekend won't just be about whether the AFL enforces the protocols set down by the government, it will be testing community response to allowing it.

 

[arsesmart]

Anyone heard of contingency plans? One thing we can be sure of with how Covid affects things, is we can't be sure of how Covid will affect things. It makes sense, in what might be tentatively thought of as a transition phase, you don't fully release the handbrake straight away. Using containable events to test the waters and/or as a graduated pathway, fits.

 

[SupermanCapes]

As long as the anti-government voices don't kick up a stink over the difference in positions in a way that embarrasses the government - we should be fine.

So no comment.

The science is currently suggesting that it's not a risk to the community for teams to play during quarantine period, if the public outcry about it for fear of some of the most frequently tested people in the nation bringing the virus (that is already here) here, then the science will change advice will change.

I've seen reports of people getting upset at the double standard it creates - other people who need to come in and out of the state and can't afford to quarantine (the example used is a family repatriating their son's body who died by suicide while they live over east) aren't given the same exemptions as the players. A very fair criticism, but I don't know that it will be enough for them to withdraw the exemptions for the players.

 

[Taylor]

I've seen reports of people getting upset at the double standard it creates - other people who need to come in and out of the state and can't afford to quarantine (the example used is a family repatriating their son's body who died by suicide while they live over east) aren't given the same exemptions as the players. A very fair criticism, but I don't know that it will be enough for them to withdraw the exemptions for the players.

I don't think it's comparable. The players fly in, work, fly out again only being exposed to other people who have both significant testing and protocol requirements on them.

But emotive arguments are the ones that gain traction because although it's very tragic for a family to lose someone and wanting special arrangements for them - it just isn't the same as someone having to jump through an arm's length of hoops.

There's a lot of sad stories that will come out of covid, some from the virus, some from the government action - but two wrongs don't make a right and just because something bad happened to you or yours doesn't mean that bad should be equally spread around to others - that's not actually fair.

We should be looking at issues as a reason for the same problems not to be replicated, not to require them to be for some semblance of equality of suffering.


As I said previously, currently the science is showing that exactly zero people test positive after seven days isolation and a negative test. People coming in can exist here for seven days and be fine for the community to interact with - in fact I suspect that if the AFL did send players to WA a week ahead to play without restrictions the AFL would be the ones restricting access to the crowd on grounds that the players might catch the virus from someone watching.

The players will need to test before they take the field and if they aren't shedding enough to register a positive they probably aren't going to be infectious enough to spread beyond the people they share a hotel room with, not in the open air and daylight.

The science on that can change if too many people get upset that someone is allowed to live in a new era of covid-19 where the CFR is under 0.09% and almost entirely in the very advanced years. The players won't be visiting aged care homes while they come here. They won't be going anywhere at all.

 

[Purplrrr]

I've seen reports of people getting upset at the double standard it creates - other people who need to come in and out of the state and can't afford to quarantine (the example used is a family repatriating their son's body who died by suicide while they live over east) aren't given the same exemptions as the players. A very fair criticism, but I don't know that it will be enough for them to withdraw the exemptions for the players.

i get the criticism. I’m footy mad so I ignore it, but I do understand it. But that poor family was from back in November, I think, when vax rates were very low and we still had covid zero to protect. The scenarios are very different now. A much softer border now, which was the right decision. I think a lot of people were treated way too harshly before (as above) even though I did enjoy living in my gilded covid free cage.

 

[Purple Suit]

New Zealand changed their policy (or backflipped depending on your views) when Omicron cases went past 150 a day. Population wise that's 75 a day for us. I would not be surprised if A) It's around that mark we do the same and B) We also adopt a version of their staged opening which will happen to allow footy (E.G. fully vaccinated residents or business travellers may enter without quarantine with a pass and negative result etc.)

We're at 51 local cases today. We should be at 75 Monday at the latest.

We'll be opening in a few weeks I recon as we'll have hundreds of daily cases anyway. They will make you do a rat at the airport though.

 

[Scham]

We're at 51 local cases today. We should be at 75 Monday at the latest.

We'll be opening in a few weeks I recon as we'll have hundreds of daily cases anyway. They will make you do a rat at the airport though.

Imagine hearing or reading that a couple of years ago!

 

[Taylor]

It sounds like an initiation into an organised crime group. Or the zooluminati.

 

[SupermanCapes]

I don't think it's comparable. The players fly in, work, fly out again only being exposed to other people who have both significant testing and protocol requirements on them.

But emotive arguments are the ones that gain traction because although it's very tragic for a family to lose someone and wanting special arrangements for them - it just isn't the same as someone having to jump through an arm's length of hoops.

There's a lot of sad stories that will come out of covid, some from the virus, some from the government action - but two wrongs don't make a right and just because something bad happened to you or yours doesn't mean that bad should be equally spread around to others - that's not actually fair.

We should be looking at issues as a reason for the same problems not to be replicated, not to require them to be for some semblance of equality of suffering.


As I said previously, currently the science is showing that exactly zero people test positive after seven days isolation and a negative test. People coming in can exist here for seven days and be fine for the community to interact with - in fact I suspect that if the AFL did send players to WA a week ahead to play without restrictions the AFL would be the ones restricting access to the crowd on grounds that the players might catch the virus from someone watching.

The players will need to test before they take the field and if they aren't shedding enough to register a positive they probably aren't going to be infectious enough to spread beyond the people they share a hotel room with, not in the open air and daylight.

The science on that can change if too many people get upset that someone is allowed to live in a new era of covid-19 where the CFR is under 0.09% and almost entirely in the very advanced years. The players won't be visiting aged care homes while they come here. They won't be going anywhere at all.

Yep, I agree with all of that. I don't think the issue is with letting the AFLW players in, it's with keeping the others out. The solution, if they want to implement one, would be to allow more compassionate exemptions rather than exclude the players.

Particularly given you guys have an ongoing outbreak, if the people wanting to get over for compassionate reasons can return a negative PCR before they arrive (similar to previous international requirements) I don't really see how they pose a greater risk to the community than other WA residents.

 

[dont bowl there]

Prediction is that the border will be fully open with no quarantine before round 2. Fremantle will fly to Adelaide and the border will open 11.59pm Sunday the 20th of March.

 

[Paracleet]

Prediction is that the border will be fully open with no quarantine before round 2. Fremantle will fly to Adelaide and the border will open 11.59pm Sunday the 20th of March.

We will do some stages for the sake of it, but I think any rule that materially inhibits footy being played will be gone before then. You'd think we'd be at or getting near our peak a month from now. Would look a bit silly having material restrictions when we'd have the highest infection rate in the country.

 

[anchor man]

We will do some stages for the sake of it, but I think any rule that materially inhibits footy being played will be gone before then. You'd think we'd be at or getting near our peak a month from now. Would look a bit silly having material restrictions when we'd have the highest infection rate in the country.

Just read on Fox footy that the supposed opening times for the border is the weekend of the 12th to the 14th March.
Hopefully that is the case.

 

[Rob]

Yeah I think it's absolutely crystal clear to everyone now that covid zero is over, so there's not much point having the border closed.

In a weird sort of way, a crisis has been averted.

 

[BStaff17]

Lets be honest was it ever in doubt week before the AFL started the border would open up.

 

[Scham]

Lets be honest was it ever in doubt week before the AFL started the border would open up.

Very handy that the health advice perfect coincided with the season.

 

[anchor man]

Very handy that the health advice perfect coincided with the season.

Give us a break.FFS.

 

[Taylor]

We got the break when omicron took over, we just have to notice it. The science has been in for a long time. The politics is catching up.

 

[arsesmart]

We got the break when omicron took over, we just have to notice it. The science has been in for a long time. The politics is catching up.

"Science" lol

 

[Taylor]

"Science" lol

Yes. Look at the data. Compare with other existing and seasonal diseases.

Or you could just listen to the experts who used to lead the effort against covid when it was actually dangerous telling you it's softer than the seasonal flu now.

 

[arsesmart]

Yes. Look at the data. Compare with other existing and seasonal diseases.

Or you could just listen to the experts who used to lead the effort against covid when it was actually dangerous telling you it's softer than the seasonal flu now.

Science is not absolute, especially for something we're trying to catch up our knowledge with and invoking "science" in some general nebulous way is kinda the opposite of science.

But anyways, there are no absolutes on how to manage this pandemic perfectly, as much as emotionally we would love there to be (which also includes the ignoring it level solution types). Yes there are more milder cases but the transmissibility and ongoing death numbers (Qld recorded it's highest ever deaths total from the pandemic yesterday, Omicron pushed the death toll higher in the US than Delta did at its peak...swear this discussion seems familiar to me ) along with the long covid cases show there is a strong case for managing it and being cautious and creating what buffer we can. That includes vaccination, which helps hem it in as well as reduce the severity of symptoms and outcome.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Team, as this thread has ultimately turned into a discussion about COVID, and because we almost certainly now know we will have plenty of home games, it will be locked.

We already have a COVID thread: Mega Thread - COVID & AFL