AFL eyes June 11 restart with training to resume on Monday
AFL players will be tested twice per week and four clubs will move to a hub on the Gold Coast as the code prepares for its return.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has confirmed clubs will resume training from their home bases on Monday for at least a week with a view towards starting the season on June 11.
Players will be tested for COVID-19 twice per week and West Coast, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and the Crows will move to an “expensive but manageable” hub on Queensland’s Gold Coast as a result of the strict coronavirus measures in their home state.
Clubs will initially train without contact for the opening week as they prepare for the second round of the interrupted 2020 season before embracing full contact from May 25.
The AFL will delay an announcement on how the fixture will look until next week but clubs now have some certainty as the league looks to resume an abridged 17 week season.
“Our 2020 AFL premiership season will resume on Thursday June 11,” McLachlan told reporters in Mebourne on Friday.
“Today is a significant step in getting footy back for everyone … we know as this situation continues to evolve we have to be agile and continue to adapt as necessary.
“Importantly we must not place any burden on the public health system.”
The AFL season was suspended on March 22 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
McLachlan said all players and football department staff would be tested for COVID-19 twice every week – one test would be held within 24 hours of a club’s weekly main contact training session.
Players would also be subjected to daily health checks by club doctors. “We have daily screening by the doctors of every single player on the list,” McLachan said.
“We have biweekly testing of every player (with one test) at least 24 hours before the contact session and we will have the results back before they’re allowed to do contact sessions or play games.
“And there are a whole series of other measures.
“All of those will then determine if there is an infection, who has had close contact and what actually plays out after that.”
South Australia is the only state yet to grant approval for its AFL players to resume contact training.
McLachlan said SA’s stance meant the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide would have to enter their hub on the Gold Coast ahead of May 25.
West Coast and Fremantle have been allowed contact training, but border restrictions mean the Perth clubs can’t fly in and fly out when games resume – the same scenario as in SA.
The families of players would be permitted to stay at the hubs, McLachlan said. “It’s an exciting day for our clubs and our supporters,” he said. “(But) … the return to footy doesn’t mean the work is complete, we must continue to follow the advice of the governments.”
West Coast football manager Craig Vozzo confirmed the Eagles would be based at the Royal Pines Golf Club on the Gold Coast for at least a month.
The Eagles are hoping the matches they play on the Gold Coast will be deemed away matches in order to allow them to play at home once they are allowed to be based back in Western Australia.
“We are proud that our players and staff are making a sacrifice for the greater good,” Vozzo said.
“Our priority is (their) health and wellbeing and we are confident the players will be able to use the facilities at Royal Pines, rather than a quarantine lockdown situation.
“We’re building our schedule as we speak. The accommodation facility looks really impressive. It gives us a good opportunity to set up a good base. We’ve had first-class discussions with both Brisbane and Gold Coast.
“It’s a good fit for our football club in terms of climate and facility. It’s a good opportunity to gather with some space, there’s good availability for ovals, gyms and aquatic facilities.”
With AAP
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