Adelaide have confirmed that board of directors member Nick Takos has resigned from his duties with the club after being unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
The AFL's league-wide vaccine mandate requires all club players and staff members to be fully vaccinated ahead of the AFL and AFLW seasons in 2022, with second doses required by December 17.
Takos' stance placed him in violation of the league's mandate as well as the Crows' internal vaccination policy.
“We have a duty of care to all associated with the Club and therefore, we developed a COVID-19 vaccination policy to ensure there were appropriate health and safety requirements to protect our people and the wider community,” Adelaide chairman John Olsen said in the club's announcement.
“As a Director, you are obligated to attend meetings at the Club’s headquarters and Adelaide Oval, as well as games and other events where players, coaches, staff and corporate partners are in attendance, and Nick is no longer in a position to do so.”
In a statement released by Takos, the departing Crows director said that he was not anti-vaccination, but is of the belief that clubs should not place medical mandates on their staff.
“The AFL’s COVID mandate, and the club’s deeply concerning response to it, has left me with no choice but to step down. I am passionate about the Crows and I have invested 21 years of service in one form or another to the club. I understand the challenging position that the board is in,” the statement reads, per The Age.
“That said, I have made my position to the board clear that while I am not anti-vaccination generally, corporations should not tell their staff and footy fans what medical treatment is good for them through a mandatory vaccination policy.”
Adelaide Oval representatives have also stated that all fans and members of the public looking to attend the venue will be required to be fully vaccinated.
