Hawks great Shane Crawford has urged AFL teams to stress to players and their loved ones the importance of no more biosecurity breaches as families are welcomed into hubs.
On the weekend the AFL suspended Sydney Swans youngster Elijah Taylor for the rest of the AFL 2020 season after he breached the league's strict COVID-19 protocols as well as the guidelines from Western Australia's state government by bringing his girlfriend to the team's hotel while they were completing a 14-day quarantine.
The Swans also copped a $50,000 fine for Taylor's breach, with $25,000 suspended, and $25,000 included in their 2021 Soft Cap.
Many clubs have allowed families of players - with approval - into hubs as teams face long stints away from their homes, pursuing the 2020 AFL season amidst a one-in-100-year pandemic.
Taylor is not the first in the AFL to be guilty of a breach though, and that has led Crawford to call upon teams to reinforce the importance of following the rules.
"AFL players, coaches and now the hubs are going to be more at risk than ever because the families are now in," Crawford said on Wide World of Sports' Full Time.
"In hub life, you've got to do the right thing. So far this year we've had players, staff, coaches step out of line at times.
'Unfortunately during the week with a Sydney Swans player they did the wrong thing, copped a fine, out for the season, but we've got to try and make sure we get through to a finals series.
"So over the next five weeks especially and when teams aren't doing so well, and they're thinking about getting back home and getting on with their lives, you've got to do everything right.
"Don't stuff it up for everyone else."
Crawford said the 2020 AFL season is "on a knife's edge" and with all the hard word the league has done to ensure football games continue to be played despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, it's vital that families and players tow the line.
"The AFL have done a magnificent job so far at keeping the season alive," he said.
"We're thankful to South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, but don't wreck it for others.
"Do the right thing, hang in there, we're not too far from the end.
"We can see a finish line, we can see a finals series coming up, and I just want all the players, coaches, staff and the families in the hubs now to do the right thing.
"C'mon please, especially for all the football lovers out there.
"We have done an amazing job as a football code to keep this game going. We want to see finals and the grand final and don't want the plug to be pulled.
from WWOS https://ift.tt/2Y9qjIX
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment