Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has declared that the AFL should continue if a player tests positive to COVID-19 upon the competition restarting.
The league originally set an automatic 30-day shutdown should a player test positive, a stipulation they have since backflipped on.
Speaking onย SEN's SENโs Dwayneโs World, Kennett said the show must go on even if a player gets struck down with the virus.
โIf a player was detected with the virus, again in my opinion, test, proved positive, he would be stood down obviously, he would be isolated, but the competition would go on,โ Kennett said.
โWe now know a lot more about the coronavirus. We are substantially better educated. I suspect until they develop a vaccine, weโre going to continue to have individuals and or clusters break out from time to time.
โYou cannot allow that risk to simply dominate our society to the point where the economy doesnโt get going again and I apply that to football as well.
โThe officials, the AFL, the medicos might have a different view, but if one of my players came down with the virus youโd of course stand him down, isolate him, test everyone else regularly as the AFL are going to do anyway, but I would continue to play in the competition.โ
The Hawks president also called for strict penalties to players that breach social distancing laws.
โ(If) a player misbehaves or doesnโt conform, that player is stood down. Again, I donโt have any inside information so youโre asking Jeff Kennett,โ he said.
โIf a player misbehaved or didnโt abide by the rules, was not disciplined enough to get his priorities right, then that player should be stood down.
โWhether the player should be stood down for the rest of the season or not, I donโt know, but I imagine there would a be a sort of graduated scale.โ
The AFL is reportedly targeting a mid-June return.
