Fans attend first Australian Rules rugby match amid pandemic

Fans attend first Australian Rules rugby match amid pandemic

Australian Football League fans arrived at Adelaide Oval for the first live match of the year on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES WITH FANS, VARIOUS OF FANS LINING UP TO GET INTO ADELAIDE OVAL SHOWS: ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA (JUNE 13, 2020) (NINE NETWORK - Broadcasters: NO USE AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND / PAPUA NEW GUINEA Digital: NO USE AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, PAPUA NEW GUINEA-BASED INTERNET SITES, MOBILE PLATFORMS OR SITES OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN THOSE COUNTRIES, NVO CLIENTS/ SMH.COM.AU/NEWS.COM.AU) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FANS, CHEERING: "Come on Port, yeah!" 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FANS, CHEERING: "Go the Power!" 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FANS, CHEERING: "Go the Crows!

Come on Adelaide." 4.

VARIOUS OF FANS LINING UP TO GET INTO ADELAIDE OVAL 5.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED FAN, SAYING: "It's been a while, so yes, been a lot of isolation and watching old DVDs and here we are back at the football and of course, we've got lovely football weather for it." 6.

MARKERS ON GROUND INDICATING SOCIAL DISTANCING AS PEOPLE LINE UP TO GET INTO ADELAIDE OVAL 7.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED FAN, SAYING: "It will still be different but the noise I think on a stadium like this with 2,000 people will still be up there." 8.

FANS WAITING IN LINE STORY: Australian Football League fans arrived at Adelaide Oval for the first live match of the year on Saturday (June 13) amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The derby between the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power was eagerly anticipated by supporters with one fan saying that it has "been a lot of isolation and watching old DVDs and here we are back at the football." The Australian Rules top flight, the country's most popular winter sporting competition, was suspended in March after a single round when travel restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 made it untenable.

The decision by South Australian authorities to allow 2,000 spectators onto the terraces for the match has raised hopes that other states will follow suit and also open their stadiums to fans.

(Production: Stefica Nicol Bikes)