AFL great warns Swans stars 'could go home'

AFL fable Nick Riewoldt has warned the contention could beryllium successful for a bumpy thrust implicit the coming weeks, informing Swans players could determine to permission their squad to travel location arsenic Sydney's COVID situation sets in.

Players from some Sydney clubs person been moved to Melbourne to instrumentality to hub beingness arsenic the latest coronavirus outbreak rolls connected and metropolis contemplates a lengthy lockdown.

That has separated respective players from young families and Riewoldt conceded that would apt pb to immoderate large decisions successful the coming days and weeks.

Sydney Swans spearhead Lance Franklin leaves the tract aft Saturday's nine-point nonaccomplishment to Melbourne. (Getty)

He added that the Swans were much apt to person players determine to caput location than GWS owed to the Giants' younger group, with little of their players separated from partners and children.

"I'd expect it to go excessively overmuch for immoderate players astatine immoderate constituent successful time," helium told Fox Footy connected Friday night.

"Then immoderate players volition spell location and you conscionable anticipation that arsenic an manufacture we tin conscionable instrumentality a enactment erstwhile that happens due to the fact that you ne'er cognize what kinds of stresses beryllium that we're unaware of."

Swans CEO Tom Harley conceded the nine was preparing for an extended enactment extracurricular of NSW.

"It doesn't look large successful Sydney astatine the infinitesimal truthful I deliberation we conscionable request to beryllium truly cognisant of that and surely preparing for an extended enactment retired of Sydney with the superior enactment evidently successful Victoria astatine the moment. We're playing it virtually time by day," helium told ABC Radio.

"Our superior interest disconnected the tract and to beryllium honorable the superior interest of the past 24 hours has been the household and partners backmost successful Sydney.

"I conjecture there's truthful galore layers to this, there's conscionable the accent and the added accent of a lockdown successful Sydney and extended lockdown successful Sydney. There's a fig of players and surely unit with families.

"We're truly conscionable trying to bash the champion we perchance tin to supply support. Obviously we'd emotion to reconnect to household arsenic rapidly and arsenic champion arsenic possible. There's nary update connected immoderate of that astatine the moment. As you tin ideate we're surely from an administrative broadside of the nine moving astir the timepiece with the AFL connected that."

Harley added that players leaving the club's basal to reunite with their families was thing that would beryllium openly discussed.

Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley. (AAP)

"I deliberation you deliberation you hole arsenic overmuch arsenic you acceptable the situation and the civilization to person those conversations that are truly unfastened and honest. That's with your playing group, it's with your staff, it's with the families and partners backmost home," helium said.

"It's thing that our nine has truly prided ourselves connected ... what I volition accidental is that nary 2 circumstances are the aforesaid and arsenic a effect of that determination shouldn't beryllium immoderate judgment.

"We recognize we're successful a very, precise public, nationalist crippled and contention but unless you truly cognize each of the facts it's champion not to speculate excessively much.

"At this constituent successful clip we're comfortable, we're providing arsenic overmuch enactment arsenic we tin some present and abroad."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!