Brendan Lines    May 15th, 2020

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has confirmed the 2020 AFL season will resume on June 11th at a press conference in Melbourne this afternoon, confirming both Adelaide teams will relocate to the Gold Coast.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan speaking at Marvel Stadium today – Image: Afl.com

McLachlan mapped out the road back to competition, announcing teams can return to training early as next Monday, with full-contact training starting May 25th for all 18 clubs.

The remaining 144 games and finals of the 2020 fixture are likely to be played in four to six week blocks, ‘roughly’ maintaining the fixtures current form, however McLachlan says ‘How we start is not how we will finish.”

The opportunity to return to play has been afforded to the AFL after consultation with Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland governments.

“Throughout this pandemic we’ve angered over every decision in line with the advice of the respective government and relevant medical authorities, our industry understands the opportunity we have been given,” he said.

The fixture of the remaining games is to be released in the coming days, matches will be scheduled at AFL venues in states allowing full-contact training and matches to take place.

Expectedly, South Australian teams the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide will join their Western Australian counterparts the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers relocating to the Gold Coast to play in one of the designated hubs.

The Crows and Power will have to go through their relocation, quarantining and training concurrently before the May 25th date, as the South Australian government would not allow any travel concession to both teams.

“They will be based on the Gold Coast for an initial period for up to four weeks and the AFL will remain to continue to be responsive with fixturing, so it can be responsive to any changes to restriction in either state,” McLachlan says.

The AFL has committed to funding the visitation of families to players based in the Gold Coast hub, observing relevant government and ‘over and above’ AFL protocols McLachlan says.

“The AFL will implement protocols over an above the government restrictions to protect the health and safety of every member of our industry and the wider community.

“These have been developed with the advice from the federal state and territory governments, along with the relevant chief health officers as well as the AFL’s own medical team and with consultation with players coaches and clubs,” he said.

Measures under this advice McLachlan says will protect players, officials and staff across training, travel and matches, but another set of restrictions will apply when away from club bases.

This will include a risk assessment relating to players living environments and limitations of visitation to their homes from friends an family.

The long arm of restrictions has already begun and will undoubtedly reach every corner of AFL life for the duration of the pandemic, as the AFL has enshrined its COVID-19 protocols into its rules with sanctions and penalties attached.

Right now COVID-19 testing is taking place across all returning personnel to the clubs. Further daily screening of players and bi-weekly COVID-19 testing has also been mandated, which will be conducted 24-hours prior, with the results posted before ‘contact’ sessions and games.

The Grand Final is tipped to be held in late October at the MCG, but if the season does go deeper into the year the AFL is likely to arrange Marvel Stadium as an alternative.