COVID-19 chaos to drive tighter schedule for troubled AFL season

The AFL has delayed the release of the next phase of the troubled 2020 season.

4 min read

8:30PMJuly 10, 2020

Damien Hardwick supervises Richmond training at Broadbeach Football Club on the Gold Coast on Friday. Picture: Michael Klein

The AFL has delayed rolling out the next phase of its fixture as the complex challenges of the coronavirus crisis continue to pose problems in a helter-skelter season.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, who is in isolation due to “feeling average”, said on Friday it was likely the fixture would be condensed in coming weeks.

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It is possible that up to five rounds could be played during a three-week period over the next month, with an update expected early next week.

The deteriorating health situation in Victoria, which announced a record 288 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday amid warnings from Premier Dan Andrews of worse to come, is a significant concern.

It has prompted speculation the AFL grand final will need to be moved, but McLachlan said it was too early to make any decision on that for several reasons.

There is uncertainty about what the situation will be like across Australia given the predicament Victoria is in demonstrates how quickly the COVID-19 health outlook can change.

But government officials in states across the country have made it clear they are willing to host the season decider if required in what could prompt a bidding war.

AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield, left, is in favour of keeping things as they are but ensuring the game can be fluid in its response when necessary. Picture: Getty Images

The MCG holds a contract to host the grand final until 2057 and Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula said he expected the ground to hold the decider this year.

But there was a concession of sorts recently from the AFL, which acknowledged the extraordinary circumstances could force a switch, particularly if crowds are allowed elsewhere.

“It will be something I reckon we’ll make a decision on in August sometime when we know more about how the landscape looks,” McLachlan said.

“I’ve said everything I’ve said about the MCG being our home but if it wasn’t, obviously there’s great venues in every state.

“There’s great footy markets, those developing markets, as well as South Australia and WA,” the AFL chief said.

In terms of condensing the fixture, McLachlan said it was worth exploring the opportunity to work through the season more rapidly while clubs were playing away from Victoria.

“We are still working through the fixture options. Can we compress it? We’re working through that.

“While players and clubs are up there, I think they go, ‘let’s play’,” he said. “Obviously you’ve got to look at the fixture and broadcasters.

“There’s a huge logistical challenge about actually getting the games away given who’s played who and who’s where. So, we are looking at, if we can, playing certainly more than one game a week over a period of time.”

Among the new challenges to be overcome is ensuring clubs actually have the personnel to cope with the physical toll a condensed fixture will have on footballers.

Some clubs opted to take full squads interstate. But others relied on AFL advice, that now may be outdated, when travelling with what Richmond coach Damien Hardwick described as more “nimble” squads.

As a result, the AFL and clubs are investigating how to bolster their squads with players still in Victoria, be it for personal or injury-related reasons.

Dual-Richmond premiership defender Bachar Houli, for example, hopes to join the Tigers later in their Queensland stint after staying home initially to help his wife with their newborn son.

Depending on the length of time clubs are on the road, Hardwick said players who had left their families behind might seek permission to have them join travelling parties.

But it is not a straightforward task for players, club and league officials and others who work in the industry to receive permission to cross borders.

Journalists from media outlets in Melbourne have arrived on the Gold Coast, prepared to serve quarantine before covering matches, only to be refused entry to Queensland.

Clubs in different states are also dealing with different quarantine rules.

Collingwood footballers Jordan de Goey, Steele Sidebottom and Ben Reid arrived in Perth on Tuesday but will only be allowed out of their rooms for the first time on Saturday.

Western Australia had hoped to ease restrictions further next weekend but will instead remain at the current level, which means only 30,000 fans will be allowed to attend the homecoming derby between West Coast and Fremantle.

“The (AFL) are very open to everything but the number one thing is that we get the season completed. The AFL are working through an enormous amount of situations and scenarios,” Hardwick said.

Should the AFL opt to fast-track matches, clubs will be asked to play matches off four and five-day breaks repeatedly.

Fox Footy analyst David King is among those who have raised concerns about the ability of footballers to cope physically with short breaks.

The AFL introduced shortened quarters this year, mindful a condensed fixture could be required.

But Hardwick believes it is worthwhile introducing interchange benches as another measure to alleviate the additional workload.

McLachlan said: “Clearly player availability and stress on players is part of that.

“Some clubs are running with skinnier lists up there so that will be part of the mix.”

AFL Players Association president Patrick Dangerfield is not certain the measure is necessary. “My view has been to leave it as it is, but I use the word fluid, and if we are playing games in the next period of time, maybe there would be the potential to extend it,” he said.