AFL players told to train, play and stay home to maintain social distancing and make season work

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says the sacrifice will be worth it to ensure the season proceeds as planned as players are issued strict limits to interactions beyond their team and families.

Players will be told to train, play and then stay at home as much as possible to maintain social distancing.

The AFL is unapologetic about its hard-line biosecurity measures to return to football, warning players they cannot surf or play golf until the season is over.

A 40-page dossier of rules has been circulated to players, which the league believes will safeguard the 2020 season and minimise the risk of coronavirus transmissions.

The Herald Sun revealed last week unprecedented measures would see players effectively remaining in their houses if not training and playing.

In a set of guidelines issued to clubs AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan told players their sacrifice would be worth it to ensure the season proceeded as planned.

Players are able to have family in their homes, go to the shops and drop off kids at school but otherwise should avoid unnecessary interactions with the public.

The league’s 800-plus players cannot have unnecessary visitors in their homes or visit friends in their houses or head to cafes for anything other than take-away food.

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Players will be told to train, play and then stay at home as much as possible to maintain social distancing.

The league is determined to push ahead with the season in the case of a first coronavirus positive to a player or official but multiple positives would clearly put the season in jeopardy.

Under a series of penalties players will be issued with fines, suspensions or deregistration if they break social distancing rules and put the 2020 season in doubt after a series of player transgressions.

Interchanges in AFL matches will remain at 90 and quarters will be 16 minutes plus time on but quarter-time and three-quarter-time breaks will be eight minutes, up from six last year.

Brisbane chief executive Greg Swann said yesterday Brisbane players who had been able to play golf under state government provisions realised they would have to stop playing to return to footy.

But he said it was a worthy price to pay to get back to football as the Lions prepare to take on the Gold Coast and a quartet of West Australian and South Australian teams in Rounds 2-6.

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Originally published as AFL players told to train, play and stay home to maintain social distancing and make season work