Vaccination is the way forward Patrick Dangerfield

Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield intends to get vaccinated as soon as the Cats’ season finishes, declaring vaccination to be the way forward for the community.

However, the AFL Players’ Association president stopped short of saying it should be compulsory for all players to be vaccinated, leaving that decision in the hands of governments and health authorities.

Geelong Cats star Patrick Dangerfield.Credit:Getty Images

Dangerfield was clear about his personal view on the issue and said his teammates would be vaccinated as soon as their campaign was over, either this Friday night or in a fortnight’s time after the grand final.

The AFLPA has said they do not support mandatory vaccinations for players as they work with the AFL to develop a league-wide policy. League boss Gillon McLachlan has said they will strongly encourage players and staff to be vaccinated.

“I think it is important for all people to be vaccinated,” Dangerfield said.

“With regard to it being mandatory, that’s something that will be decided on by the government, health authorities and others, that is not necessarily something for me to comment on, but from my personal perspective it’s something that I am really strong on.

“[I am] certainly not sitting on the fence.”

Although it’s unlikely to make getting the jab compulsory, players in both the AFL and AFLW competitions are almost certain to need to be vaccinated to continue their careers.

Governments have indicated they may introduce laws requiring people to be vaccinated before they can travel across borders or enter stadiums.

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Peter Ryan is a sports reporter with The Age covering AFL, horse racing and other sports.Connect via Twitter or email.

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