No decision on season yet, but AFL boss Gillon McLachlan reveals plan to tackle coronavirus
The AFL has unveiled a swathe of changes to a slimmed down 2020 season amid the coronavirus threat, but league boss Gillon McLachlan says a decision still hasn’t been made on whether the season-opener will go ahead as planned.
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Thursday’s blockbuster season opener between Richmond and Carlton is in extreme peril as the AFL on Monday agreed to a historic 17-game schedule — with a Grand Final that could be played close to Christmas.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan committed to 17 rounds to be played at some stage this year but everything else this year is up for grabs.
The AFL is aware senior players want to postpone the season, with McLachlan finally confirming the league would “down tools” with a single coronavirus positive.
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It means the most likely outcome will be the league delaying the season until a possible June or July resumption after the rate of coronavirus transmission eased.
AFL star Scott Pendlebury is still awaiting a coronavirus diagnosis on Tuesday despite reports he had tested negative.
If he — or any player, coach or support staff member — tested positive before Thursday, the season could be postponed until as late as June or July.
The Herald Sun understands the AFL believes, at best, it would get through one round of AFL football before it had to shelve its season for months.
Clubs have heavily lobbied the AFL to delay the season so when football does return it is with fans back in their seats and paying for games.
The league will ask the player union for feedback on Wednesday after the 1240-strong playing group was set to be canvassed for opinions in telephone hook-ups of the AFL and AFLW.
The league has, in effect, cut its home-and-away season by a quarter, with 153 home-and-away games instead of 198.
The league will have to make a decision on playing Round 1 by the end of Tuesday, with McLachlan saying it had “not made a final decision on the men’s and women’s fixtures this weekend”.
Even then, the AFL could have to cancel Round 1 on game-day, given every club is now testing players and staff who present with flu-like symptoms.
The Herald Sun can reveal the AFL is protecting up to $1.09 billion of revenue this season across its 18 clubs and AFL House — that includes ticketing, membership, corporate sales and merchandise.
The league is open to a different finals fixture that could include bonus finals or a wildcard weekend for broadcasters Seven and Fox Footy, while McLachlan said he hoped the Grand Final was at the MCG, but could not guarantee that prospect.
The Twenty 20 World Cup will be played from mid-October to mid-November at the MCG but the league could conceivably play its finals through December.
McLachlan has committed to a reduced pay, with the AFLPA conveying the message from AFL House that players will have to take pay cuts of up to 20 per cent for a 17-round season.
He agreed there would be “an amount of pain” felt across the industry, with AFL stars including Dustin Martin likely to have to sacrifice as much as $250,000 under that arrangement.
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The league has committed to playing its first four rounds as scheduled — whenever that might be — but will have to tip its fixture on its head to ensure every team plays each other once.
For some time, clubs have been asking about the ramifications of a single coronavirus positive test, but McLachlan finally revealed the AFL’s policy.
“If a player was found to have coronavirus this weekend, ultimately that would mean the stand down of a club,” he said.
“For the integrity of the competition, we would put a standstill to that round of football.”
McLachlan said the AFL would have talks with its broadcasters about contracts which pay the league over $400 million a season and stipulate 198 home-and-away games.
Many of those games will be scheduled in a stacked late-season fixture on separate nights going into midweek to attempt to maximise the ratings for broadcasters.
McLachlan said he would have discussions with the broadcasters when asked if the AFL would need to pay back some of the $2.5 billion broadcast rights money.
“This unprecedented situation requires an unprecedented response. Football will find a way through,” McLachlan said.
“What we do know is we will get a season away. We don’t have all the answers at the moment.”
AFL presidents and AFL club doctors were meeting separately on Monday night as they considered the ramifications of playing this weekend.
McLachlan admitted the NAB League was unlikely to go ahead after state leagues were postponed until May 31 — which could delay the November national draft.
He admitted the accepted peak of the coronavirus in Australia was currently June, which could prevent the league from starting until the back-end of the season.
Clubs have been told games could be reduced to as little as 80 minutes with 16-minute quarters plus time on.
They will also be given detailed measures that would see players separated and training in smaller groups, which might eventually allow clubs to play on later in the year even if a single player contracted coronavirus.
