To our valued members and supporters,
We know, like us, that you will no doubt be feeling uncertain about what the coming months will hold. As the Prime Minister outlined this morning, this is an unprecedented challenge for our entire community, and it will require an unprecedented response.
What we do know for certain is that our competition will look different this year. The season has been shortened to 17 rounds and significantly, fans won’t be present at games for the immediate future.
The AFL has tonight announced that Round 1 will proceed this weekend. We stand with the AFL, which has as its number one priority the health and wellbeing of its people and the broader industry, and has been guided by the advice of experts and the government. At the Swans, people always come first. And we will be taking every precaution to protect our people.
For the AFL industry, the response to COVID-19 represents one of the greatest challenges in the history of our competition. We still have much to work through, and we don’t have all the answers yet. While it is inevitable that we will face difficult decisions in the weeks and months ahead, our industry is united in trying to find an outcome that ensures the long-term stability of our clubs and best outcomes for our people.
We have been buoyed by the messages of support from our members, supporters and partners. We know, like us, you’re navigating trying times, so to have taken the time to reach out with words of support and encouragement means so much to our entire team. We’re committed to keeping you connected to the team and to our wider Swans community, and hopefully football can bring some joy to what will no doubt be a difficult time for many – starting with a win over the Crows in Adelaide on Saturday!
Our football club has been around for 146 years – and we plan to be around for the next 146 and beyond. We will get through this together.
As always, take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheer, cheer
Tom Harley
CEO, Sydney Swans
