The AFL has chosen to actively endanger the lives of its players by mandating vaccination against Covid:
From Fox Sports:
The AFL has released its Covid-19 vaccination policy, which, “in general terms”, will require all AFL and AFLW players and football program staff to be vaccinated before the start of their respective seasons.
Outlined in the policy, formed in conjunction with the AFL Players’ Association, is the requirement of all AFL players and football program staff to be fully vaccinated by February 18, 2022.
Those who, without good reason, do not comply with the policy will not be able to attend their club or any AFL premises to either train or play.
On top of this, the league has outlined four options for clubs to deal with such players:
– Transfer the Player to the inactive player list (meaning the Player can be replaced) and pay the Player 25% of (for AFLW) their contracted salary or (for AFL) the CBA minimum base salary;
Keep the Player on their playing list (meaning the Player cannot be replaced) and pay the Player not less than 25% of (for AFLW) their contracted salary or (for AFL) 25% of the CBA minimum base salary;
– Terminate the Player’s playing contract with the agreement of the Player;
– Exercise any rights the Club may have at law to terminate the Player’s playing contract, but such rights are not to be exercised prior to 18 May 2022.
The latter essentially means players can be delisted if they are not vaccinated by 18 May 2022.
If you don’t get jabbed you will get the sack. And you’ve heard Daniel Andrews, you’re not going to be able to wait this out.
The AFL’s General Manager of Football Andrew Dillon said the policy “delivers on our commitment to best protect our players, staff and the wider community”.
The irony is that while the AFL has gotten all tiggy touchwood about so-called ‘duty of care’ in the last decade or two, mandating vaccination actively puts players at risk. Data demonstrates that you are more likely to have an adverse reaction or die from a Covid vaccine than you are to get sick or die with Covid if you are unvaccinated. The Andrews government is actively covering up the fact that most people hospitalised with Covid have had at least one jab.
Like their counterparts in the trade unions, the AFL Players’ Association is siding with State power rather than with its workers:
AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh said the player body has made clear, “the importance of vaccinations as part of a safe workplace and community and as a pathway out of our current lockdown cycle.”
He recognises that we are trapped in a lockdown cycle. What he won’t acknowledge is that it is a cycle dictated by our government, not by Covid or the unvaxxed.
“In saying this, our view is that vaccinations are an individual decision.“
No it’s not. You’re literally siding with the people forcing the people you are supposed to represent into taking the dangerous vaccine.
“It has, however became apparent in recent weeks that unvaccinated players will not be able to fulfil their contractual obligations due to various State border restrictions, and the new worker requirements in Victoria. Through our player meetings, players have been made aware that this was a possible scenario.”
That’s called a cope. Saying there is nothing you can do about it because all these other organisations and governments have made the decision for you and it is all too hard is avoiding responsibility. If ever there was a moment for the AFLPA to stand up for football players it is now.
The AFL could be in for a nasty shock. Footballers are well paid and they have access to resources. If a prominent player or group of players decides to fight this they could have some clout.
What the AFL is doing is illegal, it’s unconstitutional and it is outright immoral. Mandating vaccines is murder.
Asking the question “how did we get to this point” is instructive. Australian football is indicative of the slide into the abyss Australia as a nation has taken. In recent years the AFL has made it clear that it sees buttsex and feelings as its driving purpose.
It used to be all about the footy. In 1982 Carlton and Richmond played off in one of the most incredible Grand Finals of all time. A flurry of goals were kicked in the opening minutes. Then it hailed. Then there was an all-in brawl. Players continued to beat the living cheese out of each other for the next three quarters. Then a naked woman ran onto the ground. Bruce Doull manhandled her and told her in no uncertain terms to get off the field and so they could get back to beating the living cheese out of each other in between playing a bit of footy. Once she was gone, they did just that and Carlton won.
The pearl-clutchers would be horrified by this nowadays but I think it was beautiful, and it is disgusting that this world was deliberately destroyed. It was wild, dangerous and you could get seriously hurt, but it was free, we had intact families and communities, people went to church and we were still more or less a nation.
There is absolutely no way on God’s green earth you can say that what we have now is better.
This should be an indication that, if us purebloods ever end up on top once all this is over, anybody who suggests we should do something to make the place more tolerant, diverse, or risk averse should at the very least receive an old fashioned shirt front.