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The AFL has made its first fixturing change to round 13, shifting the marquee Queen's Birthday match between Melbourne and Collingwood to the SCG.
The AFL has shifted the traditional Queen's Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood from the MCG to the SCG as it starts to rejig round 13.
The marquee match, which doubles as the headline fundraising event for Motor Neurone Disease charity FightMND, is the latest fixture change prompted by Melbourne's COVID-19 outbreak and associated border closures.
The 'Big Freeze' slide, which has helped Neale Daniher and FightMND raise more than $45 million to research initiatives, will remain at the MCG but the league was keen to ensure the game was played in front of fans.
"Out of adversity come some silver linings," AFL fixturing boss Travis Auld said of the Monday, June 14 match at the SCG.
"This is a great opportunity for not only the AFL to showcase a marquee game into the Sydney market, but for FightMND to further shine a light on Neale Daniher's inspirational fight against motor neurone disease.
"We will continue to work closely with the Victorian Government on when we can get matches back in front of you (Victorian fans) in the coming rounds."
Demons chief executive Gary Pert noted "it was important that we explored all options to ensure that energy (coming from a crowd) around the game continued".
The league will soon confirm further changes to round 13.
West Coast's Thursday night blockbuster against Richmond on June 17 is expected to be brought forward.
The Tigers are currently in Perth ahead of Saturday night's Dreamtime clash with Essendon, and the AFL is exploring the option of delaying their bye so they can play the Eagles next weekend.
It means West Coast's bye would also be delayed by a week, but Eagles coach Adam Simpson said the club would accept any fixture change the AFL deemed appropriate.
Meanwhile, the AFL will investigate claims that Adelaide players and staff were not correctly wearing face masks on a flight home from Sydney.
The Crows played Richmond at Giants Stadium last Sunday and flew back to Adelaide directly after the match in western Sydney.
But the club received a tip-off from a passenger onboard the flight, claiming several members of the group were not appropriately wearing masks.
The Crows have asked the AFL to investigate those claims and say they're cooperating fully.
The passenger gave an interview to Triple M Adelaide's breakfast show, saying she was "disturbed" by what she saw.
"It was a complete disregard for the welfare of everyone on board," she said.
"The stewards asked them (the players) to put them (masks) on, yet they didn't comply with it."
The Crows say they will await the findings of the AFL investigation.
"The club also acknowledges the government requirement for people to wear masks in airports and on all domestic commercial flights to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19," a Crows statement read.
"Our coaches, players and staff understand it is a privilege to be playing football during these times."
Adelaide will host Collingwood on Saturday, with the Magpies receiving a state-government exemption to fly to South Australia with Melbourne still under lockdown.