‘China’s Gift’ – Why the AFL needs to Prepare for Crowd-Free Rounds

China’s Gift to the world, the #CaronaVirus is not yet as severe as what the US gift to the world (Spanish Flu) was, and still signs are clear that disruption to normality is the key theme. In that the light, the Australian Football League (AFL) need to plan for crowd free rounds.

Because that’s what’s happening around the world. In Switzerland the Federal Council for Public Health have just announced a ban on gatherings of more than 1000 people: ‘In view of the current situation and the spread of the coronavirus, the Federal Council has categorised the situation in Switzerland as ‘special’ in terms of the Epidemics Act. Large-scale events involving more than 1000 people are to be banned’. (full press release)

And this is the challenge for the Australian Football League – illness is spreading and sooner or later Australia will be hit. Interestingly the vector for transmission in Australia is likely to be the overwhelming contract based labour utilised in the food and services industry who lack sick leave pay enabling them to stay away from their jobs and not end up losing their rental property or starving to death. Same goes for the myriad of ‘bank’ (temp) staff used in the Hospital Sector. Mixing in the Hospitals and Aged Care centres and bars and restaurants, many people will need to move from one location here to another location there trying to get enough hours in total to pay their bills, and as such they are the core vehicle for collecting and carrying the virus from place to place. Just like ’employees but not employees’ food delivery people and Uber drivers who also lack sick leave support, lacking the ability to sustain their conditions for living without working, they’ll choose ‘work’.

Sooner or later it seems, we will be confronted by the need to quarantine on mass. And that means empty stadiums. Potentially, the delightful women’s Australian T20 World Cup win (well done team!) could well be the last major crowd in Australia this year