Victorian hubs are looking increasingly more likely as COVID numbers continue to rise across the rest of Australia.
Only a days after hosting the first AFL game with crowds in the state for over a month, Victorian fans could be rewarded with a spate of games. It would be a deserved change after football was taken away from Victorians in 2020.
South Australia has now closed its borders forcing the AFL to be "seriously considering" Melbourne hubs according to the Herald Sun.
.@RalphyHeraldSun gives an update on the latest Covid chaos in WA which could force major shifts to the upcoming fixture. pic.twitter.com/CZnosF0HC1
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) June 27, 2021
Jon Ralph said that the details around a Melbourne hub are slowly becoming clearer.
โThe last WA lockdown, the second week of that everyone felt that would be a Derby crowd and there was not,โ he told Fox Footy.
โSo the very strong expectation now is that Carlton will hold firm and you would think in the next 48 hours that Fremantle will likely get out of there.
"The worst-case scenario if this cluster expands and the WA border closes to Victoria, they canโt get out. So I think thatโs the very likely occurrence there.
Ralph said there could be as many as 14 teams in Victoria at one time meaning hubs could become inevitable.
โWest Coast is set to take on Sydney at GMHBA Stadium anyway, so youโd think the Eagles play this game (against the Bulldogs) and they will get across to Melbourne," said Ralph.
"By that stage, weโll have 14 out of 18 sides in Melbourne โ and that potentially lends itself to something youโve been talking to the AFL about.โ
Brisbane are set to travel to Adelaide this week to take-on the Crows but the location of that match is now seriously up in the air. While Fremantle were set to host Carlton at Optus Stadium, but that game looks a real chance to be moved to Melbourne.
Fans were turned away at yesterday's West Coast vs Western Bulldogs clash in Perth as the WA government scrambled to get ahold of the growing COVID numbers.
The AFL have continually reiterated their want to put fans first where they can. And while the Blues have already hosted the Dockers in Melbourne this year, if the AFL are to stick to that notion it's hard to see the game going ahead in Perth.
Eddie McGuire said on Fox Footy that Victorian hubs seem the likely solution at least for the time being.
โWe feel that theyโre all going to come to Victoria, that the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle and the Dogs will get out of there and Carlton wonโt go. Thatโs where itโs looking at the moment,โ said McGuire.