With a surge of cases in NSW coming on top of a lockdown in Melbourne due to the pandemic, the AFL has been scrambling to relocate teams and games.

Crowd sizes have also been heavily impacted by restrictions, with fans capped at 25,000 at the MCG and Marvel Stadium this weekend before a planned boost to 85 per cent capacity next round.

McLachlan said it had come at a huge cost to the AFL.

"That's about the number ($15 million)," McLachlan told Melbourne radio 3AW.

"In between charter flights, the testing, the additional hotel rooms as players have been in these quarantine hubs going in and out of states, it's worked out for three weeks at about 15.

"It's very expensive but right now it's the only option."

McLachlan said it was money that the league could never recover.

GWS and Sydney Swans players and staffers rushed to exit Sydney on Tuesday when given less than three hours notice by the AFL of the need to relocate.

The teams are bracing to spend at least the next fortnight in Melbourne to avoid Sydney's worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Australian Associated Press