Despite a pair of reported cases of Covid-19 traced and tracked in Western Australia over the past 24-hours, Fox Footy and Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph claimed on Friday night that the state is still the frontrunner to host the 2021 Grand Final.

Speaking prior to the second Qualifying Final between Port Adelaide and Geelong, Ralph shed light on the current situation west of the Nullarbor.

“Two truck drivers from New South Wales have tested positive [after] driving into Western Australia in the last 24-hours," the journalist began.

“They were wearing masks, but they did stop in multiple roadhouses. They are now in hotel quarantine.

“[Premier] Mark McGowan has just called a press conference to detail it. He has not put the state, or even Perth, into lockdown just yet. Clearly though, they are alert and they are alarmed with Geelong flying into Perth tomorrow morning.

“The AFL is clearly monitoring the situation."

Both Geelong and Melbourne are set to touch down in the Western Australian capital at stages throughout this weekend, with each set to play their next respective finals at Optus Stadium.

Following Port's 43-point win over the Cats, Ralph again updated footy fans on the situation by stating that if they call any number of the country's eastern states home, they should be prepared for another night time decider.

“It [the Grand Final] will be [at] five o’clock or 5:30 in Perth, so that will be 7 o’clock or 7:30pm – a true night Grand Final on the eastern seaboard," he said.

Should these latest plans remain unaltered, it will be only the second time that the showpiece event has taken place outside of Melbourne and after the setting of the sun, with the 2020 contest between Geelong and Richmond at the Gabba acting as the debut occasion for both milestones.

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