Crowds on agenda for Melbourne AFL games

By Oliver Caffrey and Callum Godde

Crowds are expected to return to AFL games in Melbourne as the Victorian capital continues to recover from its most recent COVID-19 outbreak.

It has been a month since members of the public have been allowed into AFL venues in Melbourne but that should change from this weekend.

Richmond’s clash with St Kilda on Friday is likely to be the first game at the MCG with fans since round 10.

Three matches in round 11 were played in Melbourne, including a top-of-the-table clash between the Demons and the Western Bulldogs, but all went ahead inside empty stadiums.

The AFL has applied to the Victorian government for up to 50 per cent crowd capacity but the figure is likely to be between 20 and 30 per cent.

Victoria recorded no new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, after just one each in the previous two days, and the state government could again move to end further restrictions this week.

The Cats were allowed to have up to 7000 people attend Friday night’s blockbuster against the Bulldogs at GMHBA as the Geelong area was under different coronavirus restrictions to Greater Melbourne.

“We took a really great step by having a crowd at that magnificent game, the Doggies against the Cats in Geelong. We want to get crowds back in Melbourne as soon as possible,” acting Premier James Merlino told reporters on Sunday.

“But with all of our restrictions (and) all of our settings, that’s based on public health advice.

“There’s ongoing engagement between public health and the AFL – and other elite sports – about what our settings will be for crowds.”

As well as the Tigers-Saints game, Essendon and Melbourne will also battle at the MCG, while Collingwood-Fremantle and Carlton-Adelaide games will be played at Marvel Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have flown to Perth on Sunday as they prepare to spend most of the week in hard quarantine ahead of their clash with West Coast.

The Bulldogs’ travelling party, including a squad of about 27 players, will be confined mostly to their hotel at Joondalup before taking on the Eagles at Optus Stadium on June 27.