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Perth Glory to set up NSW base in bid to restart stalled 2020 A-League season

Murray WenzelThe West Australian
Glory star Bruno Fornaroli celebrates scoring a goal with teammates.
Camera IconGlory star Bruno Fornaroli celebrates scoring a goal with teammates. Credit: Albert Perez/Getty Images

The Perth Glory will have to base themselves in NSW for up to five weeks to play out the A-League season, and they won’t be alone.

Brisbane, Adelaide and the Wellington Phoenix will all have to do the same; a move Brisbane boss David Pourre says should “incense” Queensland fans.

The Roar chief executive lashed out in a Facebook post on Saturday morning after FFA boss James Johnson confirmed on Friday that, apart from a run of Melbourne derbies, the remainder of the season would play out in a NSW isolation hub.

GLORY ANTICIPATES A-LEAGUE RETURN AS PLAYERS HEAD BACK TO WA

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Pourre claimed the decision was rushed and close-minded after he had been in the midst of planning for some, if not all, remaining 32 games to be played in Queensland.

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“Let me just say how disappointed I am about this,” he wrote.

“I was informed that information about medical protocols were forthcoming on Monday 1st June so that I could position them with the appropriate health representatives in QLD.

“So much for due process and having options to consider; one would think that during this time we open our minds to all possibilities for the best interests of all players, all coaches, all administrators, extended employees and above all else, the game - not just NSW.”

Glory players started to arrive back in WA this week, including Nick D’Agostino, Dane Ingham, Daniel Margush, Carlo Armiento, Vince Lia, Ivan Franjic and Jake Brimmer who will now all head into isolation.

When the A-League does return, the remaining 32 games are expected to be played over a 36-day period in July and August.

Ex-A-League star Clint Bolton fears for player safety in the rushed return, and said given the pay cuts players were taking he didn’t see a real benefit.

“There’s so many things that could go wrong with this in my mind,” he said on SEN.

“To try and squeeze a lot of games into a short period of time, which these players aren’t used to... it’s just got disaster written all over it.

“And what for?”

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