Victory set to avoid quarantine nightmare amid NSW virus outbreak
Melbourne Victory coaching staff and players are set to avoid a nightmare Christmas in lockdown thanks to an exemption to Victorian government rules, as the end of their quarantine period in NSW nears.
Coach Grant Brebner and his support staff and players have been in quarantine in Sydney since returning from their Asian Champions League campaign in Doha early in December.
Melbourne Victory have been quarantining in NSW since their return from the Asian Champions League in Doha.Credit:Getty Images
The whole group is due to end their quarantine on Tuesday and return to Melbourne to enjoy time with their families – whom they have not seen since leaving for Qatar in November.
But all their plans were left up in the air given the COVID-19 outbreak in NSW and the swift steps that the Andrews government had taken to ensure that the coronavirus does not spread to Victoria over Christmas, sparking fears that they may have to isolate again upon returning to Victoria from NSW.
But Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed on Monday afternoon that overseas arrivals who have undertaken two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine in Sydney will not need to quarantine again if they fly to Melbourne.
"We are working to to excise the [Sydney] airport from the red zone, so that if you would have traveled from a [quarantine] hotel, to the airport you you have not essentially visited the hotspot you're not part of the red zone," he said.
Andrews said there may be "some testing" and short isolation period at home for those in this category.
"[But] we are not envisaging people having to do another two weeks of hotel quarantine if they're coming out of hotel quarantine," he said.
He said there would be a range of rules for those travellers, such as wearing a mask for the entire journey from a Sydney quarantine hotel to Melbourne and not leaving Sydney airport.
He said there would be more clarity on the rules later on Monday.
Sources familiar with the situation said Victory were hopeful of beginning their A-League season on January 2 against Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park.
The group has spent most of the past six weeks in a form of closed captivity.
When they were playing their Asian Champions League games in Doha they were in a "bubble", getting COVID-19 tests every few days.
They have been in a similar bubble in Sydney quarantine since they returned, only allowed out of their rooms for training and then in supervised circumstances under tight bio-security protocols.
Players and coaches have also been tested regularly while in Sydney.
Club officials had been hopeful that the tight bio-security environment all have been involved in since mid-November would be enough to gain them an exemption.
Victory's women were due to kick off the W-League with a fixture against Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday December 27, but that is now set to be rescheduled.
Melbourne City, the W-League champions, were due to stage a grand final rematch with Sydney while City's men were set to seek revenge for defeat in last seasons's A-League title decider in their grand final rematch with champions Sydney in a blockbuster double-header on December 30.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said those games were not likely to go ahead.
But Western United, who host Adelaide in Geelong on December 28, will – at this stage – play as scheduled.
A-League officials believe that they can find ways to work around the COVID-19 crisis, having done so once before when they established a hub in NSW and completed the 2019-20 season in July and August.
Five of the 12 teams hail from NSW and a sixth, Wellington, will be based there this season.
The fixture list is certain to be revamped to allow the league to continue, if in piecemeal fashion.
Michael Lynch is The Age's chief soccer reporter and also reports on motor sport and horseracing