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Gold Coast ready for more AFL disruption

3 minute read

Gold Coast have taken 33 AFL players to Adelaide after leaving Queensland early to avoid being affected by Brisbane's coronavirus outbreak.

Swans head coach JOHN LONGMIRE .
Swans head coach JOHN LONGMIRE . Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

After jetting out of Queensland, Gold Coast are prepared for an AFL stint on the road if required amid their home state's coronavirus outbreak.

The Suns' travelling party, including 33 players, flew to Adelaide on Tuesday - two days earlier than originally planned - for Friday's clash with the Crows, to avoid getting caught up in any potential border restrictions related to Brisbane's three-day lockdown.

Football manager Jon Haines said Gold Coast had expected COVID-19 border restrictions to affect the season at some point and had learned from their AFLW team's experiences of rapidly changing fixtures.

"If it means we're here for a period of time, we're excited by that and we're looking forward to it," Haines said on Tuesday.

"We're planning for multiple contingencies as we have been for the last six to eight weeks and COVID's impacted round three of the AFL season and we anticipated at some point that would occur.

"Our focus is on this Friday night and then we're open-minded to what it looks like after that.

"If it means we have to stay a couple more weeks to play multiple games, we're open to that.

"If it means we have to go home we'll accept that challenge as well."

Haines said the Suns were "loath to look too far ahead" but were prepared to head to Melbourne if required.

"Whatever the preferred option ends up being we'll support it and we'll dig in and we'll be excited by it," he said.

"We got moving pretty quick yesterday on the premise that we were safe and ready to go."

Meanwhile, Sydney have secured exemptions to train after they were caught up in the fallout from Brisbane's growing coronavirus cases.

The Swans are confident they'll be cleared to fly to Melbourne and face Richmond on Saturday.

Under NSW health rules, people who have been in the lockdown area since March 20 are now subject to the same stay-at-home restrictions as Greater Brisbane.

The Swans beat the Lions in Brisbane on March 20, flying out the next day, and are therefore among those required to isolate.

John Longmire's team will train on Tuesday afternoon, having been cleared to visit the SCG for work, but must continue to follow lockdown measures.

"We're working with the AFL and the health authorities to get an understanding of the possibilities of exemptions etc," Swans chief executive Tom Harley told SEN Breakfast on Tuesday.

"We have to shift a few things around today with regards to training as we work through the finer details."

Harley said no Swans players or staff visited any exposure sites.

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