AFL teams have fled Queensland while the NRL remains hopeful it can complete fixtures this weekend after a snap Covid-19 lockdown for the state’s south-east plunged several sporting codes in chaos. Three AFL matches have been relocated while five clubs left the state on Saturday as the Queensland government announced the three-day lockdown from 4pm. Saturday’s Gold Coast-Melbourne and Essendon-Sydney fixtures were postponed, while Sunday’s GWS-Port Adelaide contest was also affected. In the NRL, where 15 of the competition’s 16 teams are based in south-east Queensland, desperate attempts were made to hold Saturday’s three matches before the decision was made to postpone them. The Super Netball competition is also impacted, having relocated entirely to south-east Queensland to complete its 2021 campaign after lockdowns in South Australia, Victoria and NSW.

Source: The Guardian July 31, 2021 03:08 UTC