STADIUMS IN SPORTS-mad Melbourne will be devoid of action for the foreseeable future after a flare-up of coronavirus Friday forced all 10 of its Australian Rules teams to temporarily relocate elsewhere.

Australia’s second-biggest city — a key hub for the country’s most popular spectator sport — appeared to have dodged the worst of the pandemic and eased most restrictions.

But hundreds of new cases recently emerged and several suburbs have been put back into lockdown, forcing a hasty rethink by Australian Football League bosses.

Some of the Melbourne-based teams were already out of Victoria state and AFL chief Gillon McLachlan said the rest would leave by Monday after their weekend fixtures, again throwing the 18-side competition into chaos.

“I have said on a number of occasions that this would be a season of challenges,” he said.

“The Victorian clubs now temporarily moving interstate are playing their part in ensuring our season endures in a year that will continue to challenge us all.”

There are 12 Irish players currently on the books of Melbourne clubs.

Australian Rules resumed its season on 11 June after a lengthy coronavirus-enforced shutdown and has already had to call off a handful of games.

The teams will be based in either New South Wales, Queensland or Western Australia, which have all successfully contained the epidemic, leaving Melbourne without matches for weeks, if not months.

Other sports have been affected with rugby league’s only Melbourne club, the Storm, already out of Victoria while rugby union’s Melbourne Rebels similarly face a long stint on the road.

Australia’s A-League football season is due to resume on 16 July with Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory also facing a likely move away from the city.

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