Clubs meet with AFL Western District to dissect COVID Safe event plans

Koroit, South Warrnambool, Merrivale and Old Collegians met with AFL Western District on Wednesday night and had "constructive" discussions about their options under COVID Safe event protocols.

A decision on whether to apply for tier two, which caters for between 1000 and 5000 spectators, will need to be reached within a fortnight as the application can take up to six weeks.

The April 2 matches, which precede round one for both the Hampden and Warrnambool and District league competitions, could also remain as a tier three events.

Tier three allows for 1000 fans at any one time and only requires a COVID Safe checklist to be completed a week prior. This is the plan for the bulk of the 2021 seasons.

AFL Western District region manager Matt Ross said the clubs involved in Good Friday, standalone games with the potential to draw larger audiences, needed to weigh up their options.

Seating is a requirement for a tier two event.

"We had a constructive chat around the obligations that we'll have for a tier two event, which is a crowd of 1000 to 5000," he said.

"It was good to get the clubs in together and we problem-solved a few things and I am sure they will take that back to their committees, look at the requirements and make an informed decision.

"We didn't necessarily come to a conclusive decision, it was more a round-table on the ways we could put in place COVID Safe measures, considering they're the first in the region to consider it."

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Points of discussion included "ensuring the spectator experience is the same at each game they go to" and rules around zones, about whether fans could pass through one to use toilet facilities or visit food vendors in another.

Ross said games in 2021 would look different and traditional aspects, such as spectators entering the field to listen to coaches' quarter-time and three-quarter-time addresses, might be "at risk this year".

"It would be something that would have some close scrutiny I would have thought," he said.

"We'll talk to leagues about getting some consistency across the matches with some principles in place.

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"There's been things thrown up like - do senior teams go in (to the change rooms) at half-time or do we minimise that indoor time? and just say 'stay out on the ground'."

Ross stressed it was important leagues and clubs worked together to navigate unusual circumstances.

"Everyone realises we're in the same boat and we're all approaching the same problems so why not cross-collaborate as much as possible to problem solve," he said.

"There's no point us working in silos."

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