It’s going to be “incredibly difficult” for West Coast to win the 2020 premiership, according to David King.
The Eagles and Fremantle face the prospect of relocating to Victoria ahead of the season restart after WA premier Mark McGowan refused to relax the state’s strict border restrictions.
Western Australian-based players cannot train in larger groups despite McGowan allowing indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people.
“We’re in a small margin industry,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“You (Gerard Whateley) and I discussed and disagreed on the fact that we wouldn’t even let teams train in groups of 10 … and that may be half a dozen training sessions, we can’t allow any advantage.
“By the way, you two teams – one is in genuine premiership contention, now have to live out of home for what could be an extensive period … it might be for eight weeks.
“Their mid-point of the season is going to be interrupted. In a small-advantaged competition, it’s going to make it incredibly difficult for the West Coast Eagles to be the premiers in 2020.”
King believes clubs like Richmond, Collingwood and GWS have a major leg up over the Eagles in the race for the flag.
“It may be the toughest premiership ever won,” the North Melbourne great said.
“We’ve talked about the West Australian teams having to do 30 per cent more. Always having to win the Grand Final as an away game, always having to fly in Grand Final week, it’s so much harder already.
“And now we’re going to ask them to move out of home for a block of time, reset back at home, not being able to train as a group for at least two weeks, and then get restarted at what will be the pointy end of the season and still maintain form – that’s giving up a significant advantage to teams like the Richmond Football Club, the Collingwood Football Club, GWS – it’s a huge impost now.”
Listen to David King’s chat on SEN’s Whateley in the player below