The exodus of AFL clubs from Victoria has begun with Collingwood and Hawthorn sharing a flight to Sydney on Sunday.

The league confirmed on Friday that all 10 Victorian clubs would be required to leave the state – amid its latest COVID-19 outbreak – before round six for a period of about five weeks.

That process was hastened on Saturday when Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced further suburban lockdowns in response to another spike in new cases of the virus.

The clubs will enter hubs in Queensland and NSW and complete a 14-day quarantine, however, they have been granted exemptions to train and play matches during that period of isolation.

The Magpies, who were defeated by Essendon on Friday night, and Hawks boarded a charter flight on Sunday morning.

Alastair Clarkson’s men will take on GWS at Giants Stadium in the final game of round five on Sunday evening before they settle into their NSW hub, at Coogee’s Crowne Plaza.

Collingwood will face Hawthorn at Giants Stadium on Friday night in round six before Nathan Buckley’s squad departs for Perth to share a hub with Geelong and local sides West Coast and Fremantle.

The Cats are set to arrive in Sydney on Sunday night, where they will set up in the Pullman at Hyde Park in the lead-up to Thursday night’s encounter with Brisbane at the SCG, which begins round six.

Carlton and St Kilda will fly out of Melbourne bound for Queensland on Sunday afternoon.

Melbourne will depart for NSW after their Sunday afternoon clash with Richmond at the MCG.

Western Bulldogs and the Bombers will leave for Queensland on Monday afternoon and will be based at the Mercure on the Gold Coast and the Mantra, Southport, respectively.