Lions head to Melbourne, Suns on the move

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The Brisbane Lions are set for a hurried departure from Queensland and will head to Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon amid the AFL’s escalating COVID-19 logistics crisis.

Club sources said the Lions, who are fixtured to face the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, had been due to leave on Wednesday. But their departure has been brought forward in light of Queensland’s developing COVID-19 situation. Sources also indicated the Gold Coast Suns are set to depart Queensland on Tuesday, leaving the AFL fixture up in the air.

The Lions are on the move earlier than planned.Credit:Getty Images

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will hold a press conference at 11am AEST.

The AFL was on Monday night cautiously optimistic it would not need to change any further round 16 fixtures, despite the COVID-19 flare-ups around the country, with the Crows-Lions, Thursday night’s Gold Coast-Richmond, and Saturday night’s Fremantle-Carlton matches all poised to proceed as planned.

But the league is now facing a fresh issue on the western front after Western Australia announced a four-day lockdown on Monday night. The lockdown casts further doubt over Fremantle’s ability to host Carlton in Perth on Saturday night. It also potentially puts in doubt West Coast’s passage into Victoria to play Sydney in Geelong on Sunday.

It is increasingly likely that almost all AFL teams will soon be in Victoria.

Fremantle have put ticket sales on hold for their match against Carlton at Optus Stadium, awaiting further guidance from the WA government. West Coast, having already copped the financial hit of their match against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday being closed to the public, are also hoping a 1000-person club corporate function at Crown Perth can proceed as planned.

The South Australian government closed the border to Queensland on Sunday, so it is hoped the Lions’ early move to Victoria will allow them to fly in and out of SA on game day.

Tuesday shapes as another critical day for the league. The AFL’s fixturing team continues to deal with a rapidly changing landscape.

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