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Saturday's AFLW qualifying final between Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions will be rescheduled after a wave of COVID-19 cases left the Magpies unable to field a full squad.
Key points:
- The AFL is working out when the match can be played
- AFLW teams must have at least 16 squad members available for selection for a match to proceed
- The Magpies' men's program has also been hit by COVID-19
The AFL released a statement saying it had received a submission from Collingwood requesting the match be rescheduled.
The league said "multiple" Collingwood players were currently under its health and safety protocols.
"The AFL will work through this and provide an update on the impacts to the scheduled Brisbane Lions vs Collingwood match as soon as it is in a position to do so," the league's statement read.
The AFL confirmed the other qualifying final between North Melbourne and Fremantle — also scheduled for Saturday — would be played.
AFLW rules state teams must have at least 16 squad members available for selection for a match to proceed.
The team can be topped up by players from outside the AFLW program.
Collingwood cancelled a planned pre-finals media conference with women's coach Steve Symonds on Wednesday as it attempted to deal with the crisis.
Victoria on Wednesday recorded a five-week high in COVID-19 cases, with 9,426 new infections.
The Magpies also confirmed their men's side had lost Will Hoskin-Elliott and two assistant coaches to health and safety protocols ahead of Friday night's AFL clash with St Kilda.
Magpies men's coach Craig McRae revealed Hoskin-Elliott and assistants Brendon Bolton and Josh Fraser were isolating at home.
They will miss the round-one meeting with St Kilda at Docklands.
Hoskin-Elliott had already been in doubt after he was injured when he landed awkwardly at training on Monday.
"We thought he [Hoskin-Elliott] might have to prove his fitness today, but he's now been put on COVID protocols, he's going to be out for seven days as a minimum," McRae said.
"Two of our coaches are going to be out of the game as well, which is just part and parcel of the environment we're in, isn't it?
"They [Bolton and Fraser] can still prepare from home and players have been well-prepared to play.
"He [Hoskin-Elliott] was ready to prove his fitness … the physios and the like were confident he was going to get through."
All 18 men's teams have lists of top-up players available this season in anticipation of COVID-19 continuing to affect the league.
But the AFL is adamant that the season will go ahead as scheduled.
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AAP/ABC