By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – The Melbourne Demons will hope to defend their Australian Football League (AFL) title in front of home fans this season after supporters were denied a chance to witness last year’s drought-breaking triumph because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Demons’ home Melbourne Cricket Ground lay empty for a second successive Grand Final in 2021, with the title-deciding match shifted to Perth and out of bounds for all but a fraction of the team’s fans who were not shut out by travel restrictions.
While the city of Melbourne endured a miserable lockdown last September, with pubs shut and home gatherings banned, the Demons thrashed cross-town rivals the Western Bulldogs by 74 points in front of a neutral crowd to win their first premiership in 57 years.
Nearly six months on, pandemic curbs have eased and authorities have given the green light for full-capacity crowds in Melbourne, where half the league’s teams are based, and other cities countrywide.
While the AFL will retain some biosecurity protocols, it will largely reflect Australia’s watchful but relaxed health settings, which authorities call ‘COVID-normal’.
At last week’s season launch, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan delivered his first speech to a room full of people in Melbourne in two years.
“It has been a long two years and COVID has taken a lot from so many of us,” he said.
“The pandemic forced us inside and forced us apart, and now we must re-connect and get on with our lives.”
In a fitting tribute to Melbourne, which spent more than 250 days locked down since the outbreak of COVID-19, the city’s nine clubs will all play at home in the opening round.
The Demons and Bulldogs open the season on Wednesday with a re-match of the Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Both teams are tipped to challenge for the championship when the September finals roll around, with the Bulldogs looking to atone for their Grand Final demolition and Melbourne hoping to erase a history of hangovers after strong seasons.
Long concerned that fans might be turned away by stodgy, defensive football, the AFL has tweaked rules to further speed up the game, adding to a litany of changes last season.
Umpires have been told to crack down on players who fail to dispose of the ball quickly when tackled, or who lower their heads in a bid to win free kicks for head-high tackles.
Players will also be penalised more quickly for umpire abuse or showing excessive dissent from on-field decisions, which often slows play.
“Players are allowed to be disappointed with a decision and disappointed with themselves, but they can’t be disrespectful towards the umpire,” said Brad Scott, AFL general manager of football.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
