AFL urges players to immediately return to their clubs from interstate
The optimism continues to grow. The AFL is preparing for loosened restrictions, and a video meeting with all 18 clubs today has sparked even more hope of a competition restart as early as mid-June.
AFL
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Interstate-based players have been told to immediately return to their AFL clubs as the league moves towards a resumption of the 2020 season as early as mid-June.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan and commission chairman Richard Goyder held a video meeting with bosses from all 18 clubs today.
The Sunday Herald Sun understands there is “growing optimism” of a restart next month with a target of October 31 to complete the season.
The prospect of long-term hubs — which had been a serious bone of contention for a number of players — has also diminished.
McLachlan said the pathway for a sporting return as outlined by Prime Minister Scott Morrision on Friday has boosted the hopes of a quick resumption.
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Clubs were told today to arrange for their interstate-based players to come back in preparation for the expected loosening of restrictions around training groups, which could be ticked off soon.
Port Adelaide has asked for its 27 players who are interstate to return to South Australia on Monday, while Adelaide wants its players back in the coming days.
Returning players at both of those clubs would need to go into a two-week mandatory quarantine period.
A state of emergency is in place in Victoria until May 11, but it is hoped some coronavirus restrictions will be eased after that date.
That could allow Victorian clubs to train in groups of 10 by mid-May and push towards a potential mid-June resumption of this extraordinary AFL season.
There are two models under consideration – playing games in “high-performance villages” or the more favoured “fly-in, fly-out” model used in Round 1.
The AFL believes the latter option is now a realistic option and plans to structure its fixtures in accordance with each of the states’ restrictions.
“What I feel confident in is we have a range of options that will satisfy the chief health officers in each state,” McLachlan said.
“We need to work out what the rules are about whether we end up with that (village) model or whether we’re flying in and flying out.
“I just don’t want to run ahead of it.
“We’ve always kept our options open and we’re working with the governments and the health officers, but we have optionality and it looks like we have more today than we did yesterday.
“We’ll know where we land by the end of this coming week.
“I just feel we have options and I feel with every day that goes past we’re going to have a plan to get back on the field sooner rather than later.”
The AFL wants to have its season completed by October 31.
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“We’ve set that as a target,” McLachlan told Fox Footy Live.
McLachlan spoke with the club captains from all clubs on Friday after the players requested a meeting with the AFL boss.
It came after a radical 20-week quarantine hub scenario was presented to the players on Tuesday night.
AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield said it was the solitary option given by the AFL to the players.
McLachlan labelled the episode as a “glitch” today.
AFLPA boss Paul Marsh said the priority was working in consultation with the players and the AFL to ensure a return to football.
“The AFLPA has met with all players this week and are now meeting with all the individual playing groups,” Marsh said.
“The players know the worst-case scenario for a return to play and as a group we’re now focusing on how we can get to a solution with the AFL where every player is able to play out the 2020 season.
“This is what’s most important for the entire industry right now.”