Melbourne guardant Tom McDonald has slammed vaccine mandates, saying it is "ethically wrong" to unit individuals to necessitate vaccinations to beryllium capable to work.
The 29-year-old confirmed that helium had received the vaccination, but spoke aft reports emerged surrounding an AFLW player's unwillingness to beryllium vaccinated.
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The AFL is yet to finalise a vaccination argumentation for its players, and McDonald said helium would person nary occupation playing against an unvaccinated subordinate adjacent season.
"I'm vaccinated and astir players would person been, but … it's ethically incorrect to unit radical to [have] a aesculapian procedure," McDonald told 9News Melbourne.
"We're connected way — we would person gotten 90 per cent of the authorities — and I don't spot wherefore we needed to origin specified issues and part by forcing radical successful galore jobs wherever it's astir apt not arsenic necessary.
"That's wherefore you get vaccinated, to support yourself. I don't recognize wherefore we request to unit different players."
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McDonald's connection came arsenic AFL Players' Association CEO Paul Marsh besides pleaded for players to beryllium afforded immoderate privateness arsenic they marque their vaccination choice.
"We recognize that shot is simply a precocious illustration sport, however, immoderate things are bigger than the game, including an individual's backstage aesculapian situation," Marsh wrote successful a statement, successful part.
"The pursuit of players who are inactive deciding, determine not to, oregon are incapable to get vaccinated for COVID-19, applies unfair and unnecessary unit connected them and their loved ones successful circumstances wherever the remainder of america would beryllium afforded privacy.
"Our players are passionate astir the crippled and immoderate determination to not person a vaccine that whitethorn yet mean walking distant from a vocation they emotion is not a determination immoderate subordinate would marque lightly."
Marsh's sentiment was besides echoed by AFLW CEO Nicole Livingstone, who said the league arsenic a full was moving to amended players arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.
"We are inactive surviving done a planetary pandemic, and if anybody … feels similar playing a athletics during a planetary pandemic is not for them, past I person to respect that," she told SEN.
"We'll enactment the players arsenic overmuch arsenic we tin to marque an informed choice."
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