Japan has one shot to get the Tokyo Games right

It's probably fair to even say that among the highest profile organisations both the AFL and the NRL have become pretty adept at it.

In years gone by, both bodies demonstrated nothing like the flexibility they have now managed to discover. The NRL has generally had a rolling fixture of sorts but the AFL, apart from some occasional tinkering with the last round of the season, has been a bastion of intransigence.

It has been known to steadfastly refuse to manage scheduling clashes with other codes or events - almost always on the basis that it "could not". Almost certainly it rather was "would not" - asserting its position of pre-eminency among sports.

Now out of necessity and to ensure survival, the AFL has shown that it is prepared to change venues, dates and times with as little as 24 hours' notice. This has been the sensible thing to do but will not be lost on those who might seek its occasional co-operation in the future.

It's worth noting that the Commonwealth Games Federation has still not found a host city for its 2026 Games after Adelaide withdrew its interest.

It is believed that the AFL's unwillingness to play ball with the availability of the Adelaide Oval was a significant contributing factor.

But as the NRL discovered this week all the COVID-agility under the sun can so easily fall apart when not everyone within its cohort is on board.

The stupidity of a large group of St George players to brazenly engage in a house party during Sydney's current lockdown was even more disrespectful to both their code and the wider public than it was dumb.

Not that the AFL has been completely exempt from such threats - it's just been fortunate that the numbers engaged in such inappropriate behaviour at any one time has been considerably less than 13.

Full credit, to use an over-used footy cliche, to the NRL and St George however for coming down super-hard on those players - and indeed to the police for declining to turn a blind eye.

These are circumstances where, whether willing to be role models or not, sporting stars must at least be treated like every other citizen in situations like this.

The police fines of $1000 a head correctly applied this principle.

But the NRL actions indicated that it accepts that its competition and players have often been granted extra privileges during these taxing times - and must therefore be additionally accountable for doing the wrong thing.

These two leagues and many others around Australia and the globe, in their determination to keep their season-long rosters alive and kicking, have had the opportunity, perhaps even by trial and error, to find a way to do so.

By contrast for the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Games organising committee, they have only the one shot at it - and of course with much greater variables at play.

At least the IOC will have had one experience when it is confronted almost immediately with the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing come February.

For the Japanese it is surely an ongoing nightmare. The decision at the end of this last week to proceed without any spectators at any of the venues in Tokyo itself must have been gut-wrenching for those charged with making the call.

At least they had not yet conducted the lottery among local fans to determine who might get a seat and for what - so there will only be group rather than individual disappointment.

That a state of emergency has now been declared until August 22 - well after the Games finish but before the Paralympics are due to begin, indicates that the government and organisers want to be in a position to control everything.

That's perhaps comforting for those of us going to the Games to officiate - even though it has long been decided that for athletics in Tokyo for example we will be confined to either our hotel or the main stadium located 200 metres apart.

It's going to be a very different experience for sure.