NSW Health Recommendations Update – 20 August

To our footy family,

On Monday afternoon the NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr. Kerry Chant, wrote to State Sporting Organisations issuing new recommendations relating to community sport.

Since receiving the updated advice, AFL NSWACT has been working closely with Sport NSW, our fellow major winter sport colleagues and NSW Health officials in the past 48 hours to clarify the high-level principles and their desired application for community sporting competitions.

Pleasingly, Dr Kerry Chant reaffirmed her commitment to seeing community sporting activity continue during her briefing with the Sport and Recreation Sector on Wednesday 19 August. I was reassured that Dr. Chant and her colleagues at the Department of Health are eager to work with sports on the high level principles, acknowledging that a pragmatic and common sense approach will need to prevail when implementing these recommendations.

As evidenced throughout the 2020 Community football Season, we remain committed to prioritising the health and safety of our participants, volunteers and officials. I am extremely grateful, and proud of our compliance and application to our COVID-19 Safety Plans.

Whilst we work through the practical implementation of the new recommendations, in particular as it relates to minimising travel, we will proceed with this weekend’s fixture as scheduled right across the State.

We will continue to provide regular updates whilst we work through these new recommendations in the coming days.

Together with my colleagues in other sports, we have all remained committed to seeing the continuation of community sport through a joint statement available here.

Kind regards,

Tiffany Robertson
A/Chief Executive Officer – AFL NSW/ACT