The North Melbourne Kangaroos are tipped to benefit most from any potential spectator ban at AFL matches, seemingly well-accustomed to playing in front of empty grandstands. With Australia starting to come to grips with the realistic threat of coronavirus, one possible precaution will be to ban fans from attending AFL matches and any other large public gatherings.

But at least one AFL insider has claimed that any such ban would provide an unfair advantage for the Kangaroos who, at one stage last year, were thinking about playing home games at Binnak Park to combat low attendances. The anonymous source told The Watsonia Bugle, “Mate, the Kangas wouldn’t even notice the difference. If anything, they’d probably feel more at home. Whereas a Collingwood player would probably freak out if there was no audience. The Pies get more fans to their training sessions than North get to their home games.”

While a closed stadium for their Round 1 clash against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium would arguably suit both teams, the Kangaroos would start to reap the benefits at their Round 2 match against Brisbane at the Gabba. Our inside source added, “The Lions are starting to build a bit of a fortress at the Gabbatoir, so locking the gates to that game would completely strip Brisbane’s home ground advantage. It will be very interesting to see how all this unfolds.”

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