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Our major sporting codes are bracing for a huge coronavirus hit as an extended shutdown looms

The coronavirus outbreak has caused chaos on the sporting calendar, with seasons and competitions either cancelled or suspended — and there are even bigger concerns for clubs and leagues, writes Tom Wildie.




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Coronavirus will inflict financial pain on the AFL and NRL. But who will pick up the bill?

Even wealthy sports are going to take a massive hit, and the only guarantee is that someone will have to pay, writes Richard Hinds.




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NSW handed Sheffield Shield as coronavirus bring season to abrupt finish

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia calls for a halt to all community and grade cricket, cancelling the Sheffield Shield final and handing the title to New South Wales.




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SANFL facing more 'tough decisions' as coronavirus hits season

South Australia's premier football league forced into tough call and the prospect of drastic reductions to Adelaide Oval revenue.




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Perth Wildcats demand NBL trophy after Kings' coronavirus fears end finals series

The NBL have yet to confirm a winner of the now cancelled Grand Final series between Perth and Sydney but the Wildcats are adamant that they deserve the title, not the Kings.




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The big hit: An extended coronavirus shutdown may change sport as we know it in Australia

With the major sports leagues in Australia facing an extended shutdown, the financial impacts could be severe, if not devastating for clubs and sports as a whole.




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The 'madness' and uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak has floored grassroots sport

It is not just the major national sports leagues and events being stalled by coronavirus, with everyone from semi-professional all the way to junior athletes across the country caught up in the storm.




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Euro 2020 postponed as coronavirus hits the sporting calendar

UEFA postpones the European football championships, with the French Open tennis tournament and cycling classics also delayed as European sport continues to deal with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.




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Community rugby league clubs set to 'go under' as coronavirus leaves its impact at grassroots level

The impact of coronavirus is not just being felt in the NRL, as community and junior rugby league clubs struggle to stay afloat because of the current health crisis.




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Finke Desert Race cancelled due to coronavirus, costing Alice Springs millions

Australia's toughest off-road motorsport event is called off for the first time in its 44-year history amid concerns competitors or visitors might spread coronavirus to remote communities.




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AFL to go ahead with round one amid coronavirus crisis

The league's commission decides to go ahead with at least the first round of the men's 2020 season after days of doubt over the fate of the season.




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Perth Wildcats awarded NBL title after coronavirus interrupts grand final series

The Wildcats are awarded the NBL championship, with the league announcing their decision two days after the grand final series against the Kings was cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.




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Will racing shut down with a positive coronavirus test? Not necessarily, according to officials

Racing is hoping to buck the trend of sports shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic, even if a jockey tests positive.




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Coronavirus forces NRL to introduce self-isolation program for players

The NRL is introducing a self-isolation program for its players, as it looks to continue the premiership amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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Coronavirus shutdown could send country footy clubs to the wall

This autumn, for the first time since World War II, footy fields across Victoria will be empty on Saturdays, which could spell the end for some struggling regional clubs.




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'It is like a ghost town': AFL, NRL enter the brave new world of no crowds at matches

AFL and NRL players begin to get used to the "weird" sensation of playing matches inside empty stadiums as both competitions step up measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic.




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NZ Warriors to stay in Australia amid coronavirus troubles for NRL

The NRL season still has 16 teams, as the New Zealand Warriors make the call to remain based in Australia for the foreseeable future.




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AFL to shut down for 30 days if player has coronavirus

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says the competition will shut down for at least 30 days — not 14 — if a player tests positive to coronavirus.




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Dockers confirm AFLW premiership favouritism with massive win over Suns

Fremantle shows why it is tipped to win its first AFLW flag with a 70-point thrashing of Gold Coast, as the Kangaroos and Demons also progress to the preliminary finals.



  • Sport
  • Australian Football League

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AFL suspends season in response to coronavirus, but NRL opts to play on for now

The AFL calls a halt to games until at least May 31 in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but the NRL says it is proceeding until told to stop.




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Australian athletes told to plan for Olympics to be postponed due to coronavirus pandemic

Australia's Olympic athletes are told to plan for the Games to be delayed until next year, amid growing calls to postpone the event in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.




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NRL announces suspension of 2020 season due to coronavirus pandemic

The NRL announces the 2020 season will be suspended after two rounds after state border closures make continuing the competition impossible.




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NRL and AFL playing on only hurt the severity of coronavirus messaging

As ever the NRL's flea-infested tail wagged the dog but when it comes to professional sport taking place, those of us in the industry in this country have all let Australians down.




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What about the sports fans? Coronavirus has thrown their season out too

Footy brings people together and it's an escape from the daily grind. But life without it starts this weekend, so how are the fans going to deal?




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US baseball uniforms used to make medical masks in coronavirus fight

There is no baseball being played in the US because of coronavirus, but a manufacturer of the uniforms worn in the Major League is now using the same fabric to make protective clothing in the fight against the pandemic.




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AFL reaches pay-cut deal with players after coronavirus shuts down season

The ugly stand-off between the AFL and its players is finally over, with the two parties agreeing to a pay deal while the men's 2020 premiership season is suspended because of coronavirus.




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Andrew Johns suggests NRL cut four teams as coronavirus leaves financial impact

The NRL is being hit hard by the financial effect of coronavirus, which is why one of the game's greatest players wants the league to consider reducing its number of teams from 16 to 12.




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Aussie John Millman resigned to seeing entire tennis season canned because of coronavirus

Australian Davis Cup star John Millman doubts the ATP and WTA Tours can resume at all in 2020 due to the extent of the coronavirus pandemic.




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Shrunken leagues, virtual Olympics and simulated crowds: What sport might look like post-coronavirus

Coronavirus has changed sport forever. But what will it look like when it comes back?




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Steve Smith leadership ban ends quietly amid coronavirus limbo

Steve Smith is now free to captain Australia again if called upon, with the leadership ban arising from the ball-tampering scandal expiring quietly over the weekend.




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Rugby Australia CEO takes 50 per cent pay cut as coronavirus hits game's finances

Raelene Castle agrees to have her salary cut in half, as rugby union's governing body in Australia braces itself for the financial impact of coronavirus.




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NRL gives clubs $2.5 million each to survive coronavirus crisis

The NRL hands out a $40 million rescue package to help clubs stay afloat as the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic hits home.




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AFL secures financial lifeline from banks as coronavirus impact hits home

In what it describes as a "relief", the AFL receives a line of credit with two major banks that will help the league continue operating during the coronavirus pandemic.




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Kayaker's Olympic farewell delayed — now she's back as a paramedic on coronavirus frontline

Jo Brigden-Jones was planning to retire after the Tokyo Games, but with her Olympic farewell delayed, she is back on the frontline as a paramedic with NSW Ambulance.




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AFL and NRL clubs say they need you, but post-coronavirus will you still need them?

Professional sports clubs are desperately reaching out to fans and members during the coronavirus epidemic out of fear they may lose their financial support once competitions resume, writes Richard Hinds.




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More than 20,000 in fitness industry may have lost jobs, as Coronavirus drives trainers to get creative

The closure of gyms and fitness centres across Australia is taking a massive toll on the industry, but trainers are utilising new apps and running classes online to connect with clients in a bid to remain viable during the coronavirus pandemic.




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Motorsport engineers use fix-it mentality to design equipment for fight against coronavirus

From today, new masks and protective boxes are being shipped out to Australian medical staff to help protect them while treating coronavirus patients — and they're coming from an unlikely source.




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Rugby Australia staring at $120 million loss in revenue as it slashes staff because of coronavirus

Rugby Union is facing a deepening financial crisis in Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the governing body announcing it is standing down 75 per cent of its staff in an attempt to stay afloat.




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Wimbledon cancelled for first time since World War II due to coronavirus pandemic

Wimbledon will not take place for the first time in over 85 years, with The All England Club calling off The Championships for this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.




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NRL players lose five months' pay as part of new deal during coronavirus pandemic

The NRL and Rugby League Players' Association finally reach a pay agreement while the season is on hold because of coronavirus, with the players taking a cut of about 71 per cent for the rest of 2020.




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Can I see my partner, and can I go for a drive? We've made sense of the latest coronavirus rules for you

We're living through unprecedented changes to the way we go about our everyday lives right now. If you're still not sure what you can and can't do, get some answers based on where you live here.




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NRL island idea remains 'in consideration' as league tries to keep game afloat during coronavirus

Rugby league faces a dangerous financial crunch due to the coronavirus shutdown, but players, clubs and the NRL are working together to ensure the game's future.




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Justin Langer vows to 'never, ever' take cricket for granted again amid coronavirus shutdown

As cricket's coronavirus shutdown continues, Australian coach Justin Langer suggests resuming games in empty stadiums when possible, saying he will never take for granted how lucky he and the team are again.




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Players worried AFLW could be sacrificed because of financial cost of coronavirus

AFLW players are concerned their competition may be sacrificed or scaled back in 2021, as the AFL continues to grapple with the financial cost of the coronavirus pandemic.




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Sports will reap the benefits of committing to women's leagues during the coronavirus pandemic

It would be a short-sighted and costly move for Australia's sporting bodies to abandon women's leagues to help them cope with the financial fallout caused by coronavirus, writes Richard Hinds.




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Professional sports clubs are counting on the JobKeeper package to save their jobs

With sport cancelled for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus, professional sports clubs are eyeing off the Federal Government's JobKeeper package to help keep players and administrators on the books.




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'I've got an island': UFC boss reveals plan to hold fights amid coronavirus lockdown

While UFC president Dana White isn't saying where it is, he says "infrastructure is being built right now" on an island that will host UFC fights amid the coronavirus outbreak.




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Roger Federer gives social media tennis lesson while self-isolating during coronavirus pandemic

Professional tennis is on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, but that does not stop 20-time major singles champion Roger Federer reaching out to his legion of fans with a bit of friendly advice on how to improve their game while stuck at home.




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AFL to be played in 'very different landscape' after coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus shutdown has already had a big impact on the AFL — but could the effects spill over into the way the game is played in future?




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Community sporting clubs will feel the pinch as coronavirus hits grassroots levels

As professional sporting bodies such as the AFL and NRL sweat on the financial cost of coronavirus, the impact on suburban and regional clubs at the amateur level should not be ignored, writes Richard Hinds.