Given the value of broadcasting deals for AFL and rugby league, they would be more likely to play games without crowds than cancel games altogether. The NRL season kicks off in Sydney on March 12 and the AFL a week later in Melbourne on March 19.

Victoria’s Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said the state government could not guarantee the Grand Prix would go ahead. He was also well aware of the big month of international events that remain under threat.

"I think it’s my job to worry," he said. "I am still confident that the Grand Prix will go ahead. All of the indications from Formula One management are they plan for the Grand Prix to go ahead.

"We are almost at the point where everybody is going to be here within the next few days. I recognise that this situation is extremely dynamic and to some extent there are matters beyond our control.

"There are decisions the Commonwealth might make or decisions from overseas. I am confident but cannot say anything with absolute certainty."

Australian Grand Prix chief executive Andrew Westacott was adamant they were "all systems go" for the event, due to start on March 12, despite the China Grand Prix being postponed.

He said the Grand Prix was working with health and government authorities regarding any last-minute travel bans that might disrupt the event.


Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo in last year's Melbourne Grand Prix. AAP

Rich Lister and chairman of Australian Grand Prix Corporation Paul Little, who is also owner of Melbourne Jet Base, said traffic of Chinese VIPs flying into his boutique facility at Tullamarine was down "20 or 30 per cent", having fallen at the time of Chinese New Year and stayed down. He said the virus was affecting VIP travel the world over.

The AFL has been forced to cancel the Shanghai round 11 game between St Kilda and Port Adelaide on May 31 due to coronavirus.

But the AFL maintains it has only "limited exposure" to the coronavirus outbreak and is well-placed to weather any economic shocks from the spread of the disease.

"We take advice from the federal government, the relevant organisations," AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan told The Age.

"At the moment the advice is, as recently as yesterday from our Prime Minister, to keep going about our business. You obviously look at what's going on.

"Exposure for us is limited. Things may change. Because we're a domestic game and, at the moment, the coronavirus has implications for those with supply chain or international links and that's not where we're at."

Big sporting events have been cancelled across Europe and Asia because of the coronavirus.


Italy's Serie A football competition has had to cancel games, with the Italian government considering banning all sporting games for a month.

Japanese rugby side the Sunwolves have been forced to play their home games in Australia for the next few rounds.

And it's not just sport. Big global technology conferences, including the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Facebook's F8 summit in May, Google I/O and the 30,000-strong Game Developers Conference due to be held in San Francisco in March have been cancelled or postponed.

The spread of COVID-19 has already forced the cancellation or postponement of several group events in Asia-Pacific, including by the Institute of International Finance.

A spokeswoman for the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre said they have not had any cancellations yet.

"But a number of events are looking at postponements, whether in this financial year or next financial, or a reduction in attendees due to travel restrictions from certain countries," the spokeswoman said.