Seems COLA isn’t enough for Sydney
Five AFL clubs have been sanctioned for breaching Covid rules with $225,000 of fines, amid claims some rapid antigen tests (RATs) were falsified.
Sydney has received the heaviest fine with a $100,000 sanction, $50,000 of that suspended, coming out of this year’s soft cap.
It's a reasonable blow given clubs have already complained the soft cap of $6.45 million limits their ability to pay the number of staffers they had pre-Covid.
Collingwood ($50,000, half suspended) and Richmond ($25,000, half suspended) have also been fined while Brisbane and St Kilda had their $25,000 fines fully suspended.
The breaches include:
- not undertaking a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within the period prescribed by the Protocols, and/or
- not uploading an image (photograph) of a prescribed RAT within the period prescribed by the Protocols; and/or
- Uploading an image taken of a previous RAT undertaken by that or another person.
“The AFL insists no clubs throughout the competition gained an advantage on match day, or a competitive advantage,” Seven’s Andrew McCormack reported.
All AFL players and staff are required to be vaccinated against Covid while teams were permitted to list up to 20 additional players on a Covid Contigency List, in case they had mass unavailability.
West Coast was the main team impacted with 13 forced changes for their Round 2 loss to North Melbourne.
“Across the last two and a half years our game and our industry has survived because we have collectively led the way in being disciplined and respecting the threat the pandemic presented, which in turn protected the health and safety of our people – our clubs, our players, coaches and officials, our staff and – most importantly – our families, friends, workmates and the wider community.” AFL General Counsel and EGM Football Andrew Dillon said.
“We established a framework in 2022 for clubs to take more responsibility in managing their own people in relation to regular Covid testing. While 13 of the clubs complied with the requirements, the five clubs failed to comply as required and the sanctions they have been handed reflect the seriousness that we take in relation to the health and safety of players, staff and the wider community.”
“Collectively we have worked together as an industry to navigate through the pandemic and no one in our system is above adhering to the protocols and protecting the health and well-being of their fellow workmates and the wider community.”
