A cyclone expected to hit the east coast of Australia this week has scrapped a golf event and prompted the Australian Football League (AFL) to postpone season-opening matches.

Golf officials called off the Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned WPGA Championship event on the Gold Coast amid forecasts for extreme wind and flooding.

“The decision has been made to ensure the safety of players, staff, fans and all stakeholders, which remains the priority,” organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.

Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early on Friday.

It could bring intense rainfall and life-threatening flash-flooding to the southeast of Queensland state and the northeast of New South Wales state, the Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest update.

The AFL, the top flight of Australian Rules football, has postponed two matches in southern Queensland, including Thursday’s season-opener in Brisbane between the reigning champion Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats.

“Out of an abundance of caution … the AFL made the decision now to ensure the health and safety of clubs, players, officials and – importantly – the wider southeastern Queensland and northern NSW community remains the priority,” the AFL said in a statement.

The decision came after coaches urged the AFL to make an early call on the games.

“It sort of reminds me of the COVID situation,” Geelong coach Chris Scott told Australian media.

“It’s a bit unpalatable talking about when you prefer to play a game of footy when people are sandbagging their houses.”

Other professional sports may be impacted, including the National Rugby League match between the Dolphins and South Sydney Rabbitohs in Brisbane on Friday.

State soccer authority Football Queensland suspended all training and games in the state’s southeast on Wednesday.

Other sporting events were called off, including national championships of touch football in New South Wales.

(Reuters)