No vax: Eagle Jack Darling sought medical exemption to jab

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West Coast star forward Jack Darling sought a medical exemption to the AFL’s mandatory vaccination policy in a bid to keep playing without having taken an approved vaccine for COVID-19.

The AFL rejected Darling’s application for an exemption, which put forward personal medical grounds for not taking the government-approved COVID-19 vaccines and therefore allowing him to play.

Jack Darling applied to the AFL for an exemption to its vaccine policy on medical grounds.Credit:Joe Armao

Darling’s career and contract, worth close to $3 million, have been jeopardised by his decision, thus far, not to follow the vaccine rules set down by the AFL, which require two jabs of vaccines approved for use by the federal government.

Darling missed the initial deadline of January 21 for the first jab and is likely to miss Friday’s deadline for the second shot, which is necessary for all players and football staff in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. Darling has not disclosed the specifics behind his bid for a medical exemption.

If he took his first shot by Friday, he would need to wait at least three weeks before he could return to the club’s football program.

The Darling application went to the AFL’s chief medical officer, Dr Michael Makdissi, and head legal counsel, Andrew Dillon, who rejected it. The AFL relies on expert medical opinion in forming its view on vaccines and cases such as Darling’s.

Darling has a four-year contract that AFL industry sources say is worth close to $750,000 a season. Should he remain unvaccinated and unable to train or play with West Coast, he is certain to be placed on the inactive list, which would see him paid a quarter of his base salary for the year. He has been training away from the club.

His absence would be felt by the Eagles, whose emerging key forward Oscar Allen is battling a foot injury and premiership forward Jamie Cripps is undergoing shoulder surgery.

Sources with some knowledge of Darling’s situation had not had a firm indication of whether he was willing to take the protein-based Novavax vaccine, which has been approved by the federal government and became available this week. AFL players have been vaccinated largely with the Pfizer vaccine, but they can also take the similar Moderna.

Brisbane Lions midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen had applied for a medical exemption, as the Lions revealed when placing Ellis-Yolmen – a rookie-list fringe player whose contract was only for 2022 – on the inactive list. The Lions have put a line through Ellis-Yolmen, ending his AFL career.

Carlton’s Liam Jones has been forced into retirement by his decision to eschew the vaccine mandate, despite Carlton’s attempts to persuade him to have the jab. The valuable key defender walked out on a contract that would have paid up to $500,000 if he played this year.

North Melbourne’s Jed Anderson is another of the small number of vaccine-hesitant players, having had one shot, with the club saying he had suffered adverse reactions to the first jab.

The Eagles released a statement on January 21 saying that Darling would not be able to attend the club or train as he had not adhered to the AFL’s COVID-19 mandates. Darling later posted a statement on social media saying his absence was due to doctor’s orders and that his club had been provided with a medical certificate.

“I have been diagnosed with suffering from a work-related injury and as a result I am on sick leave [until] further notice. I will not go into any details as to my medical condition as I wish to keep that private. I am doing the best to work with the club and my doctors so I can recover from my injury. I intend to return back to training as soon as I am fit and able,” Darling wrote.

Darling’s mother-in-law Fran Braham was a key speaker at an anti-vax freedom rally in Kalgoorlie in November last year.

The AFL could make it compulsory for players and staff to have a vaccine booster against COVID-19. AFL chief executives were told at their last meeting that a sizeable percentage of players had already had their third shot or were booked in to do so.

The AFL and West Coast declined to comment on Darling’s situation.

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