A nine-game season is on the EFL’s radar with a start date touted for June.
Everyone is itching for the footy to return — at all levels. So Melbourne’s six metropolitan leagues have nutted out a plan that could return action to suburban fields sooner than you think.
East
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EFNL coaches are preparing their teams for the possibility of a half-season kicking of in June.
Officials from the six metropolitan leagues met on Tuesday to figure out a way to get the season — which is suspended until at least May 31 — underway.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, the league said half-season slated for a June 13 or 20 start “would be the most viable option for season 2020” should football be allowed to recommence.
A recent survey conducted by the league found 44 per cent of senior clubs were in favour of cancelling the season, with the same percentage conceding they would be financially unable to pay a tiered salary cap to a maximum of $50,000.
A total of 84 per cent of clubs backed lower player payment caps across the next three years.
Rowville coach John Brown, while doubtful of a season, said his Premier Division side was building up to the possibility of an upcoming campaign.
“They’ve got three sessions a week that they’re completing from a conditioning point of view and a strength point of view,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a phase I guess in terms of medium loading and we’ll hold that for a period of three or four weeks before we increase that and hopefully over the course of May there’s an increase load and we get some sort of further direction in terms of where we’re heading.’’
Blackburn coach Brendan Allen said that while a season looked more “unlikely than likely”, his club would be ready to go.
The top-tier Panthers played off in their first senior grand final since 2002 last season, where they fell to powerhouse Vermont.
“We’re pretty lucky that our strength and conditioning coach is switched on — he works at St. Kilda, so he’s all over it in a maintain period at the moment,” he said.
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“Then it’s a matter of if we’ve got three weeks to start doing a bit of a change of direction and a bit of kicking, then we’ll be ready to go.
“From a club point of view, we’re in a really good position in the sense that if it does become a nine-game season, we’ve got finances and all that sort of stuff in order to be able to pay a half-cap of a hundred thousand.”
The six metropolitan league chief executives will meet with the AFL on May 12 following the State Government’s plan to lift stage three restrictions on May 11.