Thanks for joining us on what will go down as one of the most bizarre days in Australian sport.
Scroll down to see the major footy talking points from March 13, 2020.
The AFL season is in limbo with Round 1 to be played without fans
The AFL season will proceed as scheduled next week but supporters won't be allowed to attend as the league braces for an "inevitable" mid-season postponement.
The AFL is actively investigating pushing its season into mid-October as the league sensationally banned all fans from its Round 1 fixtures.
The league on Friday night decided to push ahead with Round 1 behind closed doors as it desperately attempts to get its season underway before its inevitable mid-season postponement.
The AFL is set to unveil a set of historic fixturing rules that will allow it to play multiple games in a week in the back-end of the season.
Club might also be able to access top-up players from outside lists given the demands on players, as Sydney star Isaac Heeney admitted playing twice a week for any period would be extremely challenging.
The Herald Sun can reveal the league has already been in contact with the MCC about whether it could still conduct AFL finals in October.
Carlton and Richmond would have split a massive $1.2 million windfall from gate receipts from Thursday’s MCG season opener under their gate-sharing agreement.
Instead only players, coaches, media, umpires and essential officials will be at the ground as the AFL said last night fans who had bought Round 1 tickets would receive refunds.
Every ghost round of the AFL will cost the AFL and its clubs millions of dollars in ticket sales but the league is also aware of its obligations to TV broadcasters in at least getting the season underway.
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Leading sports doctor Peter Brukner yesterday told the Herald Sun football was certain to be shut down at some point in coming weeks.
The AFL is fully aware of that position and wants to play some early rounds to create a “buffer” before the peak of the coronavirus hits Australia through April and May.
One senior club figure said of the league’s need to turn to its $60m future fund: “They have saved that money for a rainy day and right now its p---ing down.”
Of the likely AFL infection of coronavirus, Brukner said: “It is inevitable someone will test positive at an AFL club within weeks”.
“What happens then? You have to cancel or postpone the league. If I had to make a prediction it will be Round 1 at empty stadiums and that will be it. By Round 2 we will be shut down.”
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the AFL would continue to be guided by the most up-to-date advice as it considered “the potential for interruption across the season”.
“The health and safety of fans, players, umpires, officials, partners and communities is the priority, so it is important that we take the advice of those that know best, and that advice right now is to continue with matches but not to host mass gatherings which can put everyone at risk.” McLachlan said.
“I am disappointed for our fans but we cannot put them in a situation that potentially jeopardises the health and well-being of the whole community.”
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The Twenty 20 World Cup starts on October 18 - 21 days after the scheduled September 26 Grand Final - with the first MCG game on October 25.
There is a 21-day exclusion zone before the first MCG game that would prevent the league from playing AFL games in October.
But a deal could be brokered that would allow the AFL to finish its finals series in mid-October before a quick turnaround which saw the MCC installing drop-in pitches before the World Cup match.
Meanwhile, AFL legend Kevin Sheedy says a 17-game season that would restore fairness to footy’s fixture would be a silver lining of the coronavirus crisis.
Essendon premiership coach Sheedy and Sydney champion Jude Bolton said it would be fascinating to see how a 17-game season unfolded.
The league’s 23-match fixture for 18 teams has often been accused of being unfair.
If the league is forced to postpone the season for six to eight weeks and has to use up its two byes, each team playing the other 17 sides might be a perfect solution.
“If it happens, it has been forced upon the AFL,” Sheedy said.
“And if it does happen it’s a bonus and so it will be the first time something happened that might be a positive from a negative, which is what I don't mind. We are concerned about the health of the nation and world so this could be forced upon us but it’s a decision we didn’t have the courage to make that now we might have to look at.”
Bolton has long argued 17 rounds would be create a season without flat spots.
“It would be a good opportunity to trial it. It makes sense. Why wouldn’t you want to condense the season and heighten it like NFL or college football. It gives us a chance to look at it in its purest form,” he said.
“You would look at your schedule and know you played every team once.
“Maybe you might play one marquee game extra but in the middle of winter it feels like it can be significantly long for some teams and that’s why good teams are consistently good at the end of the year.
“Normally you are looking at the start of the season to see how many times you play Richmond or where you play West Coast. That’s the biggest discrimination the league has.”
Updates
Lauren Wood
NORTH Melbourne is en route to Geelong and planning for tonight's AFL Women's clash to be played.
The Kangaroos have hit the highway with the match scheduled to kick off at GMHBA Stadium at 7.10pm.
Despite expected government advice to cancel all events with more than 500 people in attendance, there is still no word whether crowds will be permitted into the ground.
The AFL is currently meeting to discuss options with clubs.
AFLW forges on as crowd call looms
Lauren Wood
NORTH Melbourne is en route to Geelong and planning for tonight's AFL Women's clash to be played.
The Kangaroos have hit the highway with the match scheduled to kick off at GMHBA Stadium at 7.10pm.
Despite expected government advice to cancel all events with more than 500 people in attendance, there is still no word whether crowds will be permitted into the ground.
The AFL is currently meeting to discuss options with clubs.
As we await a Federal Government press conference that is expected to announce a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people, a press release arrives from the AFL.
Is this what we'll be playing instead of the real thing?
Gilbert Gardiner
The AFL season will be played in front of empty stadiums or postponed.
A decision appears inevitable after Australian chief health officer Brendan Murphy advised the Prime Minister and Premiers to cancel all "mass gatherings" attended by more than 500 people.
A crowd of more than 90,000 AFL fans were expected to flood the MCG next Thursday night for the Richmond-Carlton season-opener.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday afternoon that health experts had advised of "evidence of greater community transmission of the coronavirus throughout Australia".
"It has been reccommended to us that we move to a position by Monday where will be advising against organised non-essential gatherings of persons of 500 people."
It is unclear how the advice will effect this weekend's AFLW matches.
Geelong and North Melbourne are expecting to play in front of fans tonight at GMHBA Stadium.
Other professional sporting codes are expected to follow suit, including NRL, cricket, A-League, NBL and horse racing.
More to come…
Fan ban set to upend AFL season
Gilbert Gardiner
The AFL season will be played in front of empty stadiums or postponed.
A decision appears inevitable after Australian chief health officer Brendan Murphy advised the Prime Minister and Premiers to cancel all "mass gatherings" attended by more than 500 people.
A crowd of more than 90,000 AFL fans were expected to flood the MCG next Thursday night for the Richmond-Carlton season-opener.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday afternoon that health experts had advised of "evidence of greater community transmission of the coronavirus throughout Australia".
"It has been reccommended to us that we move to a position by Monday where will be advising against organised non-essential gatherings of persons of 500 people."
It is unclear how the advice will effect this weekend's AFLW matches.
Geelong and North Melbourne are expecting to play in front of fans tonight at GMHBA Stadium.
Other professional sporting codes are expected to follow suit, including NRL, cricket, A-League, NBL and horse racing.
More to come…
Gray turns his back on free agency move
In some non-coronavirus footy news, Port Adelaide star Robbie Gray has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at Alberton until the end of 2021, turning his back on a potential free agency move.
Gray has been one of Power’s greatest draft steals, arriving at the club with pick 55 in the 2006 draft and has kicked 318 goals in 218 games.
The 31-year-old said he was delighted to extend his time at the club.
Tonight's VFL practice match between Richmond and Coburg has been called off due to health and safety fears "due to coronavirus".
Coburg tweeted: "The club will provide further updates about future 2020 practice and H&A matches as that information comes to hand from the VFL."
Richmond players including Toby Nankervis, Jack Graham, Jack Ross and Noah Balta would have hoped to use the match to push for a spot in the Tigers' Round 1 AFL team.
VFL practice match cancelled
Tonight's VFL practice match between Richmond and Coburg has been called off due to health and safety fears "due to coronavirus".
Coburg tweeted: "The club will provide further updates about future 2020 practice and H&A matches as that information comes to hand from the VFL."
Richmond players including Toby Nankervis, Jack Graham, Jack Ross and Noah Balta would have hoped to use the match to push for a spot in the Tigers' Round 1 AFL team.
Greg Davis
Brisbane is expecting its AFLW clash with Collingwood at Hickey Park on Saturday afternoon to go ahead as planned – with spectators.
A number of measures were being put in place to protect players but the club said it would be “business as usual” otherwise.
Meanwhile, AFL Queensland CEO Dean Warren says the governing body was taking a “calm but pro-active” approach with their community and schools football but pre-season training for juniors and seniors and Auskick programs were proceeding as normal, for now, albeit with an extra sense of caution.
“We are working through the different scenarios and developing strategies to put in place but as we speak, it is business as usual for us,’’ Warren said.
“We are in constant communication with clubs and other stakeholders in the game to ensure everybody is taking the appropriate pre-cautions to limit any exposure.
“Things like community umpires not training together or limiting travel unless it is absolutely urgent are things we are looking at. Community football clubs are community meeting places so we may have to look at measures such as postponing the start of our season.
“But we will proceed as normal and we will be guided by the AFL and other bodies such as the Department of Education and their expert advice.’’
Of the 900 Auskick centres in Queensland, 700 operate out of schools.
A phone hook-up with state CEO’s and the AFL took place on Thursday and updates were being shared on a regular basis.
Guests at the Brisbane Lions season launch on Wednesday night had to use hand sanitiser before entering the function that had a “no hand-shake” policy while guests were also asked to wash their hands regularly and cover their mouths if coughing or sneezing.
Invited guests who felt ill in the build-up to the event were encouraged not to attend.
The Lions also cancelled a media lunch set down for today.