In the days following Carlton's first AFL victory in round one since 2012, the celebration gave way to a quieter reckoning — four members of the club's football program, including coach Michael Voss and midfielder Jack Martin, tested positive for COVID-19 and entered isolation. The virus, indifferent to the rhythms of sport, arrived without warning between one day's negative tests and the next morning's positive results. Across the competition, Collingwood faced a more severe outbreak, one significant enough to postpone an AFLW qualifying final entirely — a reminder that the pandemic continues
Carlton's Round 1 joy tempered as Voss, Martin test positive for COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 is still clearly a reality
Mark
So Carlton won their first round one game in a decade, and then four people tested positive the very next day. That's a brutal sequence. How does that even happen?
Mimi
They all tested negative on Thursday before they came into the facility. By Friday, all four had returned positive. It's the speed of it—they were asymptomatic and felt fine, but the virus was already there.
Luke
That's worth noting though. We don't know where they caught it. Was it at the MCG? In the community? The source doesn't say. We just know the timeline.
Mark
And Voss is the head coach. How does a team prepare for a game when the person running it is in isolation?
Mimi
They have Ash Hansen, a senior assistant, stepping in to coach against the Bulldogs next Thursday. But it's not seamless. You lose continuity, you lose the voice that's been building the culture.
Luke
If Hansen stays negative. That's the condition. And they can't bring in VFL depth from their top-up list, which is unusual. That's a real constraint.
Mark
Why can't they access the top-up list?
Mimi
The source doesn't specify the reason. It just says Carlton is not expected to have access to it.
Luke
Right. That's a gap. Is it a league rule? A club decision? We don't know.
Mark
What about the bigger picture? Is this just Carlton, or is the whole competition dealing with this?
Mimi
Collingwood's got it worse. They had to postpone an AFLW final because they don't have enough players available. West Coast's got a player out too.
Luke
So it's scattered but real. Not a league-wide shutdown, but enough disruption that you're seeing matches affected and coaching changes.
Mark
Does it feel like the pandemic is still a genuine threat to the competition, or is this just noise?
Mimi
Lloyd said they remain mindful of it. But they're still playing. They're adapting, not stopping.
O Pulso
- Carlton's round one triumph over Richmond turned bittersweet within 24 hours as coach Michael Voss, star midfielder Jack Martin, and two staffers returned positive COVID tests despite all testing negative the day before.
- The rapid turnaround — negative on Thursday, positive on Friday — exposed how swiftly the virus can move through a tightly connected football program, even one riding the high of a significant win.
- With Voss in isolation, senior assistant Ash Hansen is now preparing to lead the Blues against the Western Bulldogs next Thursday, adding an unplanned layer of uncertainty to the club's early-season momentum.
- Carlton cannot access its COVID top-up VFL player list, leaving the club exposed if further infections emerge in the days ahead.
- The situation at Collingwood is more acute — a larger cluster has already forced the postponement of their AFLW qualifying final against Brisbane, with the AFL ruling the club unable to field the minimum required players.
- From West Coast to Collingwood to Carlton, the opening rounds of 2022 are unfolding under the familiar shadow of a pandemic that continues to test the competition's capacity to simply keep playing.
In the days following Carlton's first AFL victory in round one since 2012, the celebration gave way to a quieter reckoning — four members of the club's football program, including coach Michael Voss and midfielder Jack Martin, tested positive for COVID-19 and entered isolation. The virus, indifferent to the rhythms of sport, arrived without warning between one day's negative tests and the next morning's positive results. Across the competition, Collingwood faced a more severe outbreak, one significant enough to postpone an AFLW qualifying final entirely — a reminder that the pandemic continues to reshape not just how games are played, but whether they are played at all.
Carlton's first round win over Richmond at the MCG — their first round-one victory since 2012 — should have carried the Blues into the week on a wave of optimism. Instead, by Friday, four members of the football program had tested positive for COVID-19 and entered isolation. Among them were coach Michael Voss and midfielder Jack Martin, who had played 75 percent of the game against Richmond just the day before. Two football staffers were also affected. What made the situation particularly striking was that all four had tested negative on Thursday, only to return positive results within 24 hours.
Carlton's football operations boss Brad Lloyd stressed that the group was asymptomatic and feeling well, framing their health as the clear priority. Senior assistant Ash Hansen is set to take charge of the team for next Thursday's match against the Western Bulldogs, provided he continues to test negative. The club will navigate that preparation without access to its COVID top-up VFL list — a pool of 20 players that includes recent AFL players Will Hayes and Ben Crocker — leaving the squad's depth vulnerable if further cases emerge.
Carlton's situation, while disruptive, was less severe than what Collingwood was managing. A larger COVID cluster within the Magpies' program affected both their men's and women's sides, with multiple players and assistants entering isolation ahead of the AFL season opener against St Kilda. More significantly, the AFL postponed Collingwood's AFLW qualifying final against Brisbane after determining the club could not field the minimum required number of players. The league reaffirmed its commitment to completing the finals series safely, though no new date for the sudden-death match had been confirmed. Elsewhere, West Coast's Liam Ryan was ruled out of the Eagles' opener against Gold Coast under health and safety protocols. Across the competition, the pandemic continued to press against the boundaries of what sport can absorb.
Carlton's first round victory over Richmond at the MCG on Thursday should have been unambiguous cause for celebration. The Blues hadn't won in round one since 2012, and this was a stunning result—the kind of win that sets a season's tone. By Friday, though, the mood had shifted. Four members of the club's football program had tested positive for COVID-19, forcing them into isolation just days before their next match.
Coach Michael Voss was among those who tested positive, along with star midfielder Jack Martin, who had played 75 percent of the game against Richmond and recorded 13 disposals and a goal. Two football staffers also entered isolation on Friday. The timing was particularly sharp because all four had tested negative on Thursday, the day before they interacted with the broader football program. Within 24 hours, each returned a positive result.
Brad Lloyd, Carlton's football operations boss, said the group was feeling well, which he emphasized as the priority. "Michael, Jack and our staff are feeling well, which is the number one priority here obviously and they will now isolate for the required periods of time," Lloyd said. He acknowledged that COVID-19 remained an active reality for the club and that they would adapt their preparations for the following Thursday's match against the Western Bulldogs. Senior assistant Ash Hansen was expected to take the coaching role for that game, provided he continued to test negative.
The outbreak created immediate logistical complications. Carlton would not have access to its COVID top-up list, a roster of 20 VFL players that includes recent AFL players Will Hayes and Ben Crocker. This meant the club's depth would be tested if additional players or staff fell ill in the coming days.
Carlton's situation was not isolated. Collingwood was managing a larger COVID cluster affecting both its men's and women's programs. Will Hoskin-Elliott and assistants Brendon Bolton and Josh Fraser were in isolation and would miss Friday night's AFL opener against St Kilda. The outbreak was severe enough that Collingwood's AFLW qualifying final against Brisbane, scheduled for Saturday at the Gabba, was postponed. The AFL determined the club would not have enough available players to meet the minimum requirement of 16 primary-listed players and five train-on players. Laura Kane, the AFL's competition management boss, said the league remained committed to progressing the finals series as safely as possible while prioritizing the health and safety of all participants. A new date for the sudden-death final has not yet been confirmed. The other AFLW qualifying final between North Melbourne and Fremantle at Arden Street on Saturday proceeded as scheduled.
West Coast also reported disruptions, with Liam Ryan ruled out of the Eagles' AFL opener against Gold Coast due to health and safety protocols. Across the competition, the pandemic continued to create friction between the desire to play and the practical limits of available personnel.
Citações Notáveis
Michael, Jack and our staff are feeling well, which is the number one priority here obviously and they will now isolate for the required periods of time.— Brad Lloyd, Carlton football operations boss
The health and safety of all members of the Collingwood AFLW program remains the priority and we will continue to work closely with both clubs.— Laura Kane, AFL competition management boss
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