“Depending on where they’ll be in a number of weeks’ time, we’ll organise for them to be able to get their second dose so all of our men’s playing group will be fully vaccinated prior to the start of pre-season.”

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury has posted a photograph on social media of having his jab, while Geelong star and AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield has said he will be fully vaccinated as well. Andrews said various community leaders, including faith leaders, would be consulted about the mandatory vaccinations.

However, if any professional sportsman or woman were to refuse vaccination on religious grounds, Mr Andrews replied: “No one’s exempt from the Public Health and Well Being Act because no one’s exempt from getting this virus, but you are at a massively reduced risk of getting it or … making someone else sick, if you’ve been vaccinated. Even a single dose provides you with a really significant degree of protection.”

The AFL and AFLPA were contacted for comment but have not yet responded.

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In a move which has implications for several sports, Mr Andrews also said he would be surprised if England’s Ashes squad was allowed to enter the country this summer unless all players and staff were fully vaccinated.

“I don’t issue passports or visas, we’ve got enough to do without doing that, but I think it is highly unlikely that the Commonwealth government will be letting anybody into this country that has not been double-vaxxed, certainly in the medium term. That might change over time,” he said.

If players were unvaccinated but still allowed in, Mr Andrews said they would most likely have to quarantine in a facility for a fortnight. England’s cricketers have already expressed concerns about travelling to Australia because of quarantine measures, the threat of border closures and the bubble restrictions they will likely have.

Racing Victoria, mindful of the need to do all it can to ensure the upcoming spring carnival runs as smoothly as possible, moved swiftly on the issue of mandatory vaccines last month.

On September 15, it told all the industry’s participants that they would have to have their first dose of the vaccine by October 16, Caulfield Cup day, and their second dose by Zipping Classic Day, November 27.

The “no jab, no entry” policy will apply to the racing operations areas at Victorian racecourses on raceday and public training centres, as well as at Racing Victoria’s Flemington headquarters and offices. All Racing Victoria staff and “licensed and registered participants” will need to be fully vaccinated to gain entry.

With Michael Lynch

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