Dear Members and Supporters
Things really are moving fast!
Yesterday I sent out a message which pointed to the steps that we have taken as a club to protect the welfare of our players, staff and supporters in the face of the emerging threat of coronavirus.
Earlier this evening the AFL announced the 2020 AFL Premiership season will commence as planned, however fans will not be permitted to attend matches for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus.
As difficult as it may be to contemplate, the club is in full support of the AFL’s decision. There was simply no other choice.
The AFL will spend the next few days evaluating all fixture alternatives to ensure that both the AFLW and AFL seasons are completed. Once we have some certainty around what that may look like, then we will be in a position to ascertain how this will impact our members, supporters and corporate partners.
As an extension to this, we’ve all been looking forward to opening our season at home with a Round 2 Showdown. However, at this stage we have no visibility as to the impact of today’s announcement beyond Round 1.
Our goal is to resolve this uncertainty as quickly as we possibly can, to enable you to plan your season accordingly. I know you understand just how unpredictable this situation is, and we really do appreciate your patience as we work our way through it.
In response to the threat of coronavirus the Port Adelaide Football Club yesterday implemented a series of preventative measures. With today’s escalated advice from the AFL and Government health agencies Port Adelaide has now extended these to further operations of the club.
Further to the AFL and Federal Governments advice to minimize public gatherings, the club will now extend an immediate postponement of any external engagements, including club events and community programs until further notice.
Port Adelaide administration will be encouraged to operate from home wherever possible.
During this period Port Adelaide’s Membership team will be available as per usual and staff will be operating the membership counter at The Port Club.
The retail precinct at Alberton, including The Port Club and The Portstore, will remain open with increased hygiene precautions implemented.
As I said earlier, these are challenging times. We greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of our Members, supporters and partners as we work with the AFL and local health and government agencies to ensure the continued safety and well-being of the entire Port Adelaide community.
We will do our best to keep you informed of any developments as quickly as we possibly can.
Take care,
KT
