FOOTY is back for 2021 and so is the chance for fans to head back to the game and cheer on their team.

As of round two, crowd capacity for Victorian stadiums is returning to 75 per cent.

Here's all you need to know about attending games during the 2021 AFL Toyota Premiership Season in a COVID-safe way. 

CHANGES TO THE AFL FIXTURE

The League has also announced only the dates and venues for the first six rounds of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season. See the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture here.

The AFL continues to closely monitor the situation and take advice from public health officials and medical experts and will announce further rounds of the fixture in the coming weeks. 

AFL Executive General Manager of Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld has cautioned the industry about the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.

"We must not lose sight of the ongoing pandemic, we will remain diligent and take every precaution, both at clubs during the week and in stadiums on match day, to ensure the health and well-being of everyone continues to be the key priority," he said.

"Scheduling the fixture in blocks provides an added level of flexibility to adjust where required, and as our recent season demonstrated, our clubs and industry have the resilience and open-mindedness to adapt where needed to keep footy going for the fans."

COVID-SAFE PRACTICES AT AFL GAMES

All matches in the 2021 season will be fully ticketed for the first time as part of the continued progression of the competition and to ensure all venues are COVID-safe.

Tickets are unable to be purchased at the gate, with fans needing to buy ahead of time.

Toyota AFL Premiership Season matches

Ticketing information including on-sale dates and times will be communicated in due course, and is subject to the most up-to-date government advice and direction regarding venue capacities, contact tracing requirements etc.

What you can expect at AFL venues

- Please wear your mask where physical distancing is not possible
- Extra cleaning and sanitisation pre, during and post-event, with a focus on high traffic areas like hand-rails is taking place.
- The stadium will be zoned, meaning fans will not have access to the entire venue, and will need to stay within their zone for contact tracing purposes. However fans will have access to amenities and food and beverage outlets in their zone
- Water fountains will not be in use at most venues. Where they are in operation, they will be cleaned and sanitised regularly. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own water bottles
- The venues are cashless, meaning only contactless payments can be used for purchases of food, beverages and merchandise.
- The stadium will provide hand sanitiser stations for patrons at a variety of locations across all levels of the stadium.
- Some activations, such as player autographs, will be paused to ensure social distancing requirements are met.
- Dedicated entry gates for all fans: patrons will only be able to enter through the gate number on their ticket, and should make all efforts to enter during their assigned time window
- To ensure adherence to the government COVID-19 health and safety regulations, a one person per two square metre rule has been implemented
- Hand sanitising stations are available at entry and exit points as well as situated around the stadium
- Increased cleaning and disinfecting of all surface areas and frequented spaces

How you can help

- Plan to arrive early at games where possible, to avoid crowds at entry points close to match start times
- Practise good hygiene and regularly and thoroughly wash your hands
- Maintain physical distancing, keep at least 1.5 metres away from others
- Carry a face mask when you leave home unless you have a lawful reason not to. It is strongly recommended you wear one whenever you cannot keep 1.5 metres distance from others
- If you feel unwell do not attend AFL games - get tested and stay at home until you return a negative result

QR CODING TO SUPPORT CONTACT TRACING

To help support the state governments with record keeping for contact tracing, please ensure you 'check in' via the QR code in your zone (if applicable). Visitors can scan the QR code by opening up their smartphone’s camera and allowing it to focus on the code. You will then be required to record your name and mobile number to confirm your attendance within that location of the venue.

You can also download the free state government apps to help check in to a COVID-Safe venue (where applicable).

Victoria: Get the free Service Victoria app
ACT: Get the free Check In CBR app
NSW: Get the free Service NSW app
NT: Get the free Territory Check In app
Qld: Learn more about collecting information for COVID-19
SA: Learn more about the COVID SAfe Check-In and get the free mySA GOV app
Tas: Get the free Check In TAS app
WA: Get the free SafeWA app

CONSIDER WHETHER YOU SHOULD ATTEND A GAME

If you are feeling unwell, please stay home for the safety of others and get tested. See below for information about COVID-19 testing in your state.

Victoria
ACT
NSW
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania

If you have been to any COVID-19 hotspots, please remain at home. You can check the latest hotspot information via the links below.

Victoria: Latest information on case locations and outbreaks
ACT: Latest information on confirmed cases and exposure sites
NSW: Latest information on exposure sites
NT: Latest information on case locations and contact tracing
Qld: Latest contact tracing alerts and latest hotspot information
SA: Latest contact tracing and hotspot information
Tas: Latest community updates on COVID-19
WA: Latest COVID-19 restrictions and exposure sites