As Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to approach Australia’s east coast, members of the footy community and further afield have called on the AFL to cancel Thursday’s season opener between Brisbane and Geelong.
Fears are continuing to mount over the impact of the storm which the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) understands will develop into a category two cyclone overnight and will make ground between Brisbane and Sunshine Coast on Thursday.
The storm is set to bring with it gusts of 120km/h along with heavy rainfall. The BOM also anticipates that could lead to flooding while Queensland Premier David Crisafulli asked residents to take the warnings seriously. ‘My message to Queenslanders today is please be prepared,’ he said on Monday.
‘It is important that people take the event seriously, they stay up to date with warnings.’
The AFL is continuing to monitor the situation but league bosses did not set a deadline on when a call to postpone the match could be made.
Meanwhile, questions are also beginning to mount over whether Gold Coast will play their opening round fixture against Essendon on Saturday at the Carrara Stadium.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon says the AFL has not set a deadline on when they could make a decision on whether to postpone this Thursday’s game between Brisbane and Geelong
Queenslanders are bracing for a once-in-a-lifetime weather event with Tropical Cyclone Alfred set to hit the Sunshine State on Thursday
The Bureau of Meteorology are predicting the storm to bring winds of around 120km/h, with officials warning members of the public to take precautions to avoid the storm
In the NRL, some players have declared their reluctance to fly up from New South Wales for the Dolphins’ clash against the Rabbitohs at the Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Eddie McGuire, meanwhile, has urged the AFL to take action quickly stating that it would be ‘sensible’ to make a call sooner rather than later on the Lions clash with Geelong, with players set to travel up to Queensland in the coming days.
‘We’re saying it’s a good idea if it’s delayed now until round three if there’s a completely out of control forecast,’ McGuire said to Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy Podcast.
‘That’s a smart thing to do before everyone gets on the plane, make the call.
‘I’d rather wait and have a good game than go up there now.
‘We’ve got to be really sensible about the weather conditions on these things.’
According to journalist Tom Morris, the Lions have told the AFL that it would be their preference to postpone the fixture until round three, when Brisbane and Geelong both have a bye round.
Jimmy Bartel, speaking on the podcast, concurred with the former Collingwood boss’ view.
The AFL are yet to make a decision over whether Geelong’s opening round clash against Brisbane on Thursday night at the Gabba will go ahead, Eddie McGuire has urged the league to make a decision on the match
League chief Dillon (centre) posed with players from GWS, Sydney, Collingwood and Hawthorn at the Opening Round media call in Sydney on Monday
‘Just call it tomorrow, on Tuesday,’ he added.
Speaking on Monday morning, AFL chief Andrew Dillon was not willing to make a decision on the postponement of the match yet, stating that the league is consulting with BOM over whether to cancel Thursday’s match.
‘The main game is actually that the people of South East Queensland and north NSW are safe, and that’s the sort of the focus,” he said on Monday morning.
‘We’ll continue to work with the Bureau (of Meteorology) and the Queensland government.
‘The forecast has already slightly changed in the last sort of 12 or 24 hours.
‘I’ve spoken to the Lions CEO last night and again this morning, and the plan is as it has been, the game is scheduled for Thursday night.’
Dillon added the AFL ‘will make a call when we’re absolutely 100 per cent confident about what’s going to happen.
‘So there’s no actual deadline. It’s when we’re absolutely 100 per cent confident about what’s going to happen, then we’ll make the call,” he said.
The cyclone is expected to cross anywhere from Bundaberg in Queensland to northern NSW on Thursday, with the Dolphins clash against South Sydney Rabbitohs at the Suncorp Stadium on Friday also under some doubt
It is understood that the Lions have expressed an interest in postponing the match until Round Three, where both Geelong and Brisbane have a bye
‘As we know, weather patterns are unpredictable, and the health and safety of our players and our fans will be the No 1 priority in any decision that we make.’
With the Dolphins and Rabbitohs set to go head-to-head in Brisbane on Friday night, in the second round of the NRL season, Souths forward Jai Arrow has made it clear he does not want to be flying up to Brisbane through the storm.
‘We’ve had a meeting and Wayne [Bennett] is in the process of talking to the NRL on what needs to be done there,’ Arrow said.
‘I don’t know if we are going up on Wednesday or Thursday, but I assume if it’s going to hit Thursday afternoon – well I’m not flying into a cyclone.
‘I’m happy to go up on Wednesday and spend some time in the great state of Queensland because there’s no chance I’ll fly into the cyclone.’
