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estern Australia’s five-day COVID-19 lockdown has created a headache for sports organisations across multiple codes.
Parts of Western Australia entered lockdown on Sunday night, after reporting its first instance of community COVID-19 transmission in several months.
The lockdown is set to lift on Friday evening.
With outdoor gatherings off-limits, tonight’s play-off between the Big Bash League’s (BBL) Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat has been relocated, with the Scorchers forced to relinquish their home ground advantage.
The match was due to be played at the WACA, but has been moved to Manuka Oval in Canberra.
Cricket Australia’s head of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, praised the Scorchers for their “ongoing flexibility”.
“This has been an unprecedented season,” Dobson said.
“The ongoing flexibility and cooperation has been vital in getting us to this point of the finals series.”
The current lockdown has also disrupted the 2021 AFLW season, which commenced last week.
Organisers have postponed games scheduled to be played in Western Australia, including two fixtures from this coming weekend.
Fremantle and West Coast had both been due to host home games in Round 2, but the matches will be pushed back, despite being scheduled to take place after Western Australia’s lockdown lifts.
The AFLW fixture beyond round two has not yet been released.
AFL head of women’s football, Nicole Livingstone, said: “We will continue to remain as adaptable as possible as the season progresses in a constantly changing environment and we will listen to and work closely with each stakeholder to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone in the game.”
The NBL’s Perth Wildcats are preparing for a lengthy stint away from home, with two of their home games postponed due to WA’s COVID-19 outbreak.
In a bid to dodge a potential spike in cases on the West Coast, the Wildcats flew to Sydney on Monday, taking advantage of the open border between NSW and WA.
Instead of their previously scheduled Friday night home game, the Wildcats will take on Melbourne United in Bendigo this Sunday.
Thus far, Perth Glory’s home game on February 13 has not been postponed, but the A-League is expected to announce changes to its fixtures should Western Australia continue to report instances of community transmission.
The Australian Open will proceed unencumbered by Western Australia’s lockdown, with officials given the green light to welcome 30,000 spectators a day from February 8.
Victorians wishing to enter Western Australia after attending the tournament will no longer have to self-isolate upon arrival, with WA premier, Mark McGowan, deeming Victorians “very low risk” from this Friday.
