The AFL will resume its 2020 season on 11 June with players back in training from Monday and to be tested for Covid-19 twice a week. AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan unveiled the league’s plans for the resumption of a 17-round regular season on Friday afternoon, however details of the new fixture will not be released until next week.
The competition was suspended on 22 March amid the coronavirus pandemic after just one completed round. Players will resume modified training with groups of up to eight on Monday before stepping up into full contact drills on 25 May.
“Today is a significant step in getting footy back for everyone ... we know as this situation continues to evolve we have to be agile and continue to adapt as necessary,” McLachlan said. “Importantly we must not place any burden on the public health system.”
The announcement follows weeks of negotiations between the league, state governments and health officials around steps towards the return of the AFL season.
McLachlan said all players and football department staff would be tested for Covid-19 twice every week – one test would be held within 24 hours of a club’s weekly main contact training session. Players would also be subjected to daily health checks by club doctors.
“We have daily screening by the doctors of every single player on the list,” McLachan said. “We have bi-weekly testing of every player [with one test] at least 24 hours before the contact session and we will have the results back before they’re allowed to do contact sessions or play games.
“And there are a whole series of other measures. All of those will then determine if there is an infection, who has had close contact and what actually plays out after that.”
An initial phase of the fixture will be released in the coming days with four clubs – West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Port Adelaide – to be based in hubs on Queensland’s Gold Coast for the early part of the season resumption.
“In order to maintain flexibility, the AFL released the remaining 144 games, plus finals, in blocks of up to four to six weeks,” McLachlan said. “The first block of games, including the first weekend of matches, will be released over the next 10 days.”
McLachlan said the plan had been developed with the advice of the federal, state and territory governments, along with the relevant chief health officers, the AFL’s own medical team, and with consultation with players, coaches, and clubs.
South Australia is the only state yet to grant approval for its AFL players to resume contact training. McLachlan said SA’s stance meant the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide would have to enter their hub on the Gold Coast ahead of 25 May. West Coast and Fremantle have been allowed contact training, but border restrictions mean the Perth clubs can’t fly in and fly out when games resume.
The families of players would be permitted to stay at the hubs, McLachlan said. “It’s an exciting day for our clubs and our supporters,” he said. “[But] ... the return to footy doesn’t mean the work is complete, we must continue to follow the advice of the governments.”
