SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund has revealed more details about the type of conditions Geelong were subjected to in order for Thursday night’s blockbuster against Port Adelaide to take place as scheduled.
As a result of Victoria’s latest COVID cluster, the game was only given the green light if strict South Australian protocols were adhered to, which saw the Cats fly in on the day of the match.
They were forced wait for several hours in the cricket nets at Adelaide Oval until a negative test result was received.
After their charter plane back to Victoria following the game was cancelled due to fog, players and officials were ushered into a hotel before departing the next morning.
Edmund said the turboprop plane that Geelong took over was so turbulent that number of players became sick as a result.
“Jeremy Cameron called it the weirdest day in football ever,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.
“The charter flight they took over was so turbulent I’m told several players were green and were close to being sick if some of them weren’t sick.
“Then the six hours of waiting at the cricket nets at the SACA, they brought some mattresses over so the players could lie down.
“The biggest shock with the fog closing in and the players were told after the game (they couldn’t fly back the same night), it was a real kick in the guts and they were straight to the ibis (hotel).
“They were fed at (Adelaide Oval) no supplies were able to be taken into the ground.”
Gerard Whateley said the onerous protocols stood up to “zero rigour”, pointing out an “absurd” contradiction in how both Collingwood last week and Geelong on Thursday night were treated.
“Absurd is the only word for what Collingwood was subjected to from South Australia health authorities and then Geelong,” he said.
“The contradictions were everywhere and probably the easiest (contradiction) to comprehend was that Geelong wasn’t allowed to have any contact with any South Australian, but the coach (Chris Scott) has to walk through the crowd out on the field.
“It holds up to zero rigour.”