Bombers could play on if only small group of players quarantined
Essendon will be likely to play next weekend even if Conor McKenna's small training group of nine is also all placed in quarantine for two weeks.
But whether the game against Carlton goes ahead next Saturday night will hinge on a Department of Health and Human Services decision on how many players are required to join McKenna, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, in quarantine.
Conor McKenna has tested positive to COVID-19.Credit:AAP
It could be that no additional players are quarantined, but if DHHS decides the small playing group must enter quarantine, the AFL would expect the club to field a team without them.
If DHHS decides more players than that are required to quarantine, then whether Essendon can field a team would depend on how many additional players were ruled out.
The AFL is not considering postponing the entire round, but the Essendon-Carlton game remains in doubt.
The AFL view is the small training groups were designed in large part for this contingency, so that if a player tested positive they could limit the number of players potentially affected. If a small group was all put in quarantine, the league said it would be akin to a group of players getting gastro and the game going ahead.
It is also the reason the league strongly advised clubs not to divide the team up into forwards, backs and midfielders when deciding the composition of their small groups, in case they were to have one entire line wiped out by quarantine.
The clubs were initially told to divide players into small groups of eight but that was later increased to nine.
McKenna, whose lease on the house he lives in is coming up, has admitted he went to a house inspection on Wednesday.
Under the AFL's guidelines, which are stricter than the rules imposed on members of the general public, players are allowed to "move house (including house inspection if selling)". The guidelines do not specify the rules about inspections for those who are renting.
McKenna was tested on Wednesday and it came back negative, and tested again on Friday afternoon after training. On Saturday morning the results revealed a low-level presence of COVID-19. He was tested again on Saturday morning and that test – returned Saturday afternoon – was positive and had increased traces of COVID-19.
Cleaners at work at the Hangar on Sunday.Credit:AAP
The AFL and Essendon are confident that the regular testing regime ensured that McKenna, who was asymptomatic, was detected as early as possible and limited his exposure for transmitting the virus.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said on Sunday that he expected McKenna's close contact list to number less than 40 but could not provide an exact figure.
"The AFL already has an existing protocol. They've got it minimising the number of close contacts that any one player will have and they will implement that accordingly, but DHHS advice would be to quarantine all of those close contacts for two weeks from time of exposure," Sutton said.
He said whether Essendon could play in the next 14 days would depend on whether the Bombers could "operate" without the people required to quarantine.
"Well, it depends on them what they can manage operationally," Sutton said.
"If that individual has trained with such a number that they won't be able to play, then that's how they will have to proceed, but if they can manage with the existing player list, minus those close contacts, then they will proceed.
"I think they are still working up the close contact list."
Sutton said he expected it would be less than 40 people on that list but didn't know the exact figure.
"No, I think it will be a much smaller number, but I'm not sure of the exact figure yet," he said.
Sutton also said the new rise in cases meant crowds at football games and other sporting events would not return anytime soon in Victoria.
Sunday's Essendon-Melbourne game was postponed because of McKenna's positive test. A new date has not been set.
with Roy Ward