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AFL clubs GWS and Sydney have given their players leave to get back to their families interstate amid concerns for the growing northern beaches COVID cluster.
AFL clubs Sydney and GWS have rushed to get their interstate players home for Christmas, deprioritising training with the COVID-19 cluster growing in the northern beaches.
As of Friday morning, the cluster at the northern beaches had grown to 28 with other states announcing differing quarantine policies for anyone who has lived in or visited the area.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley suggested the SCG Test, which is slated to start on January 7, is not in any jeopardy of being shifted.
"We're monitoring the situation, not panicking at all," Hockley told SEN.
However, grade cricket fixtures in Sydney have been suspended.
Surf Life Saving Australia postponed the opening rounds of the Ironman and Ironwoman series as AFL and NRL clubs hastily rejiged plans.
GWS confirmed they had cancelled their final AFL field training session - scheduled for Friday morning - to give interstate-bound players the opportunity to get home while their AFLW team had their Christmas break brought forward to Friday.
The Giants' AFLW team were due to train on Friday night and then next Monday and Wednesday before commencing their break, but are now immediately on leave.
They will return before the new year, instead of their initial January 2 resumption.
The Swans confirmed they did not cancel their final training session of the year on Friday but made it non-compulsory, as they focused on getting players from interstate on flights home in the morning.
Heading home is unlikely to be an option for players from Western Australia though, as anyone who has entered the state from December 11 onwards now has to have a coronavirus test and self-quarantine for 14 days.
No Sydney or GWS AFL players live on the northern beaches.
Some Giants AFLW players, plus some staff members, live in the region but none have attended venues listed as hot-spots, and GWS said those individuals would adhere to NSW health guidelines.
Both AFL teams return to pre-season training on January 6.
Meanwhile, NRL club St George Illawarra also cancelled their final training session of the year, which was scheduled for Saturday, to allow interstate players to return home for the holidays.
Manly are based in Narrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches with a number of players and staff also residing in the area.
Manly chief executive Stephen Humphreys told AAP the club was closely monitoring the situation and obviously complying with NSW Health orders to stay home for three days.
Most NRL clubs are finishing pre-season training this week and there is expected to be a more detailed update from the Sea Eagles later on Friday.
The NRL is also closely monitoring the situation but is yet to enact any additional restrictions on players and staff.
Super Rugby's Waratahs had their last training before Christmas on Friday but any players and staff based in the northern beaches did not attend - while there were already reduced numbers due to the club's Wallabies being on annual leave.
The Waratahs confirmed young flanker Carlo Tizzano had flown home to Perth on Thursday, while the club also had some players and staff fly to Queensland on Friday.
