Geelong vice-captain has apologised after hosting a weekend party that has been roundly criticised by his club and government officials amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Stringent social distancing rules are now in place to help slow the growth of the current health pandemic, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews urging people to stay at home and not congregate in large numbers.
The 28-year-old took to social media to apologise for his actions.
“I want to apologise for my actions on Sunday night,” Blicavs said on Twitter. “This is a huge issue confronting all of us at the moment and one I did not take as serious as I should be taking.
“I made a mistake and the best thing I can do is learn from it. The worst thing I can do is make the same mistake.
“I plan to learn from this. Stay safe and love to everyone doing it far tougher than I am.”
1/2 I want to apologise for my actions on Sunday night. This is a huge issue confronting all of us at the moment and one I did not take as serious as I should be taking.
— Mark Blicavs (@MarkBlicavs) March 26, 2020
Geelong coach Chris Scott didn’t rule out a sanction for Blicavs but said there were bigger issues at play right now.
"I think it is right to be hard on those who make mistakes, but they shouldn't be completely vilified in this situation because it's an incredibly difficult time," Scott told SEN’s Whateley on Thursday.
"I understand the emotion and I understand the temptation to get angry at people and see them punished for it, and maybe there will be a time for that.”