The AFL has announced their vaccination policy, outlining three steps to get players and staff progressively vaccinated.
In general terms, all AFL and AFLW players and football program staff have to be vaccinated before the start of their respective seasons.
The three stages of the AFL’s vaccination policy are below, per the AFL’s press release:
The First Stage is already in effect in Victoria by virtue of the Government’s Authorised Worker Vaccination Mandate and requires Players and Football Program Staff of Victorian Clubs to be vaccinated (first dose 22 October 2021 and fully vaccinated 26 November 2021) prior to being able to attend their Clubs to start or continue their pre-seasons.
The Second Stage applies to all remaining AFLW Players and AFL Football Program Staff, and additionally the AFL Players and AFL Football Program Staff of the NSW Clubs, namely the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney. This stage requires first vaccination dose by 19 November 2021 and to be fully vaccinated by 17 December 2021, in advance of likely scheduled practice matches and the AFLW season commencing in January 2022.
The Third Stage requires all remaining AFL Players and AFL Football Program Staff (i.e. of Clubs in WA, SA and QLD) to receive a first dose by 21 January 2022 and to be fully vaccinated by 18 February 2022, in advance of likely scheduled practice matches in late February 2022 and commencement of the season in March 2022.
The policy also outlines what will happen if players refuse to get vaccinated.
In short, players who do not comply with the vaccination policy will not be allowed to perform for their respective clubs.
They could be transferred to an inactive list and replaced, while also only being paid 25 per cent of their salary.
AFL Players Association Chief Executive Paul Marsh said the AFLPA believe in the benefits of vaccination and are happy with the policy.
“In our conversations with players about COVID-19 vaccinations over recent months, we have made it clear that the AFLPA believes in the importance of vaccinations as part of a safe workplace and community and as a pathway out of our current lockdown cycle,” Marsh said in the AFL statement.
“Therefore, in working through this policy with the AFL, our focus was to agree positions that provide players with clarity, appropriate timelines for making personal vaccination decisions, an ability to review the policy should Government directions change, and financially support those who make the hard decisions to step away from their playing careers. The agreed policy delivers all of this.”