AFL fans at upcoming Adelaide v Collingwood match urged to duck and avoid football

South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer has defended a decision to allow Collingwood players an exemption to travel to Adelaide for an upcoming AFL match, but has urged fans to “duck” and avoid contact with the ball when it is kicked into the crowd.

Nicola Spurrier this afternoon elaborated on the strict conditions Magpies players would be subjected to ahead of the game at Adelaide Oval against the Crows, which will go ahead as fixtured on Saturday afternoon.

After earlier refusing to comment, SA Health has since confirmed the Magpies would receive an exemption to Victorian border restrictions — a decision that has sparked backlash, with health authorities accused of double standards.

Professor Spurrier said she had spoken with the AFL and that Collingwood players would be required to sign statements that they had not been to exposure sites, and abide by other strict conditions.

“The requirement on the Collingwood team will be that they have to now go into quarantine in Victoria and that means if they are with their family, their family will also have to quarantine,” she said.

“Individually, each of those players has to sign a declaration that they’ve not been at an exposure at those times and also just before they come over to South Australia they need to sign a declaration as well.

“They will not be coming into contact with any South Australians except the players in the Crows team.”

Professor Spurrier said Magpies players would be swabbed at the airport after arriving on a charter flight, and not be allowed to play until they had tested negative.

She said that, after the match, players from both sides would be tested again within 48 hours.

But Professor Spurrier — who, by her own admission, is not a strong football fan — said crowds at the match would also have to do their bit.

“We cannot have any interaction at all. We’re looking at the seating at the moment and we’re looking at the ball,” she said.

“Not that I’ve been to many football games [but] I have noticed occasionally it does get kicked into the crowd and we are working through the details of what that will mean.

“If you are at Adelaide Oval and the ball comes towards you, my advice to you is to duck and do not touch that ball.”

Apology issued over Victorian outbreak

Victoria’s coronavirus outbreak has been linked to an Adelaide medi-hotel, and Professor Spurrier also revealed she had apologised to Victorian health chiefs.

“I’ve certainly apologised to Allan Cheng and Brett Sutton, and we work very closely together,” she said.

“But people need to understand this was not done in any way, shape or form through any breach in our hotel protocols.”

SA today recorded six new coronavirus cases, five of which are considered historical and only one of which is considered active.

“We don’t have any local community transmission and all of these cases are in medi-hotels,” Professor Spurrier said.

“Today’s cases include two family groups and also a solo traveller.

“No-one is in hospital with COVID, which is really good news.”

Professor Spurrier thanked the public for the almost 8,000 tests that were conducted yesterday, after SA Health expressed concern at a drop-off in testing.