A-League awaiting government advice on unvaccinated players

The NSW government is refusing to say whether unvaccinated athletes will be permitted to enter stadiums as the A-League and W-League await confirmation of restrictions that will apply to players who refuse to be jabbed.

The A-League will be the first major football competition in Australia to play in a post-Delta world but is yet to receive any firm advice on how, or if, unvaccinated players will be able to take part in the new season, which begins on November 19.

The A-League will be the first competition in Australia to begin in a post-vaccination world.Credit:Getty

The A-League’s new start date, which was announced on Thursday, is three weeks after the competition was originally slated to kick off, with delays forced by the outbreaks across the eastern seaboard. Only the first six rounds of A-League fixtures, and the first four weeks of the W-League which will begin in December, have been unveiled. Both leagues will be initially split in a conference-style system for logistical reasons, with the five NSW teams plus the Wellington Phoenix to play against each other, and the majority of other matches to be played in Victoria.

However, it’s unclear how any player who chooses not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to be involved. While the Australian Professional Leagues - operators of the A-League and W League - have not mandated vaccinations for players, they have strongly campaigned for all players, coaches and staff to get vaccinated.

“APL and the PFA have jointly conducted a vaccine education programme for all players over recent weeks, and Clubs have been working with local and state governments to proactively promote vaccination programs,” APL commissioner Greg O’Rourke said.

“We are nine weeks away from the season starting, and will continue to monitor the situation with our partners.”

Sources within the organisation informed the Herald that pending government and commercial regulations will most likely stop unvaccinated players from travelling interstate and by air. The NSW government has announced only vaccinated spectators will be able to attend sporting events once the state passes the 70 per cent double vaccination milestone. However, sports minister Natalie Ward did not answer specific questions from the Herald as to whether the same standard will apply to athletes.

“I would strongly encourage all members of the community, including all players, to get the jab,” Ward said in a statement.

“Being fully vaccinated means you’ll be able to enjoy the freedoms set out in the NSW Government’s roadmap for reopening the state.”

Two NBL clubs have already released vaccine-hesitant players by mutual consent, in anticipation of those players being unable to travel around the country freely this season.

The Australian football players’ union, the PFA, has undergone an extensive vaccination education program with all A-League and W-League players, with sources suggesting more than 95 per cent of players, coaches and other performance staff are already fully or partially vaccinated.

The PFA did not comment on unvaccinated players when contacted on Thursday. The Herald is aware of at least three senior players in the A-League who have voiced strong opposition to getting vaccinated.

A-League champions Melbourne City will open the new season against Brisbane Roar at home in a first round that will be headlined by a Sydney derby between Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC at Parramatta. The W-League season will begin on December 3, with newcomers Wellington Phoenix to face the Wanderers.

Meanwhile, Central Coast Mariners are without a home ground for the start of the season with the club yet to reach a tenancy agreement with Central Coast Council for use of the stadium in Gosford. Senior A-League sources suggest the APL is negotiating with the council on behalf of the Mariners, though the club is entertaining the prospect of playing their first home games in other regions, potentially in Sydney and Wollongong.

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