The Adelaide Crows have cancelled an intra-squad trial game due to the sheer number of players unavailable through either injury or COVID-19.
The Crows are believed to have 18 players ruled out of the planned game on Friday, as their pre-season continues to be disrupted.
South Australia’s COVID-19 rules require strict periods of isolation after close contact, with close contacts required to quarantine for a week, and positive cases for 10 days.
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The team’s first official pre-season match is set for the first week of March, against local rivals Port Adelaide.
“It is disappointing for our players who were looking forward to showcasing the hard work that they have put into this pre-season for our members and supporters via the live stream,” Crows head of football Adam Kelly said.
“This pandemic has taught us to prepare for all scenarios and be flexible with our planning, and while cancelling the practice game is not ideal, we do not anticipate it having a significant impact on our preparation for the season ahead.
“Our players have had a very strong pre-season and we are excited about taking that momentum into games.”
The only silver lining for the Crows is that their women’s team, who are sitting second on the ladder, remained unaffected.